Testate Amoebae in the 407-Million-Year-Old Rhynie Chert (Current Biology)

Strullu-Derrien et al. describe 407-million-year-old testate amoebae, demonstrating the presence of phagotrophic protists in early terrestrial ecosystems. Today, these protists are important contributors to terrestrial communities; the new fossils show that their ecological role was established as plants first spread across the land surface.