Article: Silicified gymnocodiacean algae from the Permian of Nanjing, China

Silicification of gymnocodiacean algae in the Lower Permian at Kongshan Hill, Nanjing, China, has preferentially replaced the calcareous wall of the thallus. The original skeletal microstructure is not preserved, but acid-extraction of the silicified fossils provides information on the cortical structure and surface features of the segments and allows the gross morphology of the plants to be reconstructed. Nanjinophycus gen. nov., is recognized, and includes N. ovatus sp. nov. and N. endoi (Nguyen). Comparisons with Recent algae indicate that these belong to either the Rhodophyta or Chlorophyta, and the presence of sporangia-like surficial pits on the segments further support a rhodophyte-affinity. They are provisionally placed in the family Gymnocodiaceae.