Charnodiscus sp.
Precambrian
Penega Formation
East Angelsk, White Sea Russia

43mm frond on 98mm slab. Extremely rare.

Charnodiscus is an extinct genus of frond-like Ediacaran organisms that lived around 560 to 550 million years ago, during the late Precambrian period. It is part of the enigmatic Ediacaran biota — a diverse group of soft-bodied organisms that predate the Cambrian Explosion. Charnodiscus had a frond-like shape, somewhat similar to a modern feather or sea pen. It consisted of a discoidal (disk-shaped) holdfast that anchored it to the seafloor, and a stem that supported a leaf-like frond divided into multiple branches or “units.” The frond shows a repetitive, fractal-like pattern—characteristic of rangeomorphs, a group of Ediacaran organisms known for modular branching that may have increased surface area for absorption or gas exchange.

As fossils, Charnodiscus are extremely rare and we have only seen one for sale in over 40 years in business.