protomeereina
Protomeereina is a provisional name used in discussions of early animal evolution to denote a small, apparently multicellular fossil organism dating to the late Precambrian to early Cambrian interval. It is considered a candidate for one of the earliest metazoan lineages, potentially bridging simple multicellularity and more derived body plans. Because fossil material is limited, Protomeereina is widely described as a genus based on a few impressions that preserve a branching, frond-like morphology.
Specimens show a dichotomously branching structure with a central axial region and repeated lateral offshoots; overall
Fossils have been recovered from shallow-marine sedimentary rocks in multiple crustal blocks; the depositional environment is
Protomeereina's affinities remain debated. Some researchers tentatively place it near the base of Metazoa, possibly akin
Despite uncertainty, Protomeereina has contributed to discussions about the emergence of multicellularity and early body plans.