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The Lower Devonian Rhynie chert of Scotland contains a wealth of fossils of various types of microorganisms; however, the forms described so far represent only a fraction of the diversity that actually existed in the Rhynie ecosystem. Here I describe three different types of enigmatic structures in the μm range that have been preserved in the chert after they detached or were released from the systems on or in which they had developed. All three can be characterized very precisely morphologically and show similarities to the spores of certain Fungi; however, affinities with algae, animals, and slime molds cannot be ruled out either. Since the biological nature and relationships of the structures are unclear, they are referred to as microproblematica. Regardless, each of these structures represents a previously unknown fossil organism, and thus expands our knowledge of the diversity of microbial life in early terrestrial ecosystems.
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