Marine Micropaleontology

• Micropaleontology


  - the study of microscopic fossils

  - study of large numbers of taxonomically unrelated groups united solely by the fact that they must be examined with a microscope.
• 1. Foraminifera

  2. Calcareous nannoplanktons

  3. Ostracodes

  4. Pteropods

  5. Calpionellids

  6. Calcareous algaes

  7. Bryozoa

  Types of Microfossils: Calcareous microfossils
• 1. Radiolaria

  2. Marine diatoms

  3. Silicoflagellates and ebridians


  Types of Microfossils: Siliceous microfossils
• 1. Conodonts

  2. Other phosphatic microfossils

  Types of Microfossils: Phosphatic microfossils
• 1. Dinoflagellates

  2. Acritarchs and Tasmanitids

  3. Spores and pollen in the marine realm

  4. Chinitozoa


  Types of Microfossils: Organic-walled microfossils
• Benthonic/Benthic

  Nektoplanktonic

  Kind of Marine Environment
• Benthonic / benthic


  bottom environments
• Benthos


  bottom-dwellers
• Vagile


  free-moving / wandering benthos
• Sessile


  fastened in a fixed position or attached / seated benthos
• Nektoplanktonic


  water environments / pelagic
• Nektonic


  Swimmers
• Planktonic


  floating forms
• Neritopelagic

  Oceanopelagic


  Nektoplanktonic: Surface and Near-Surface Organisms
• Neritopelagic


  - shallow waters above the continental shelf areas
• Oceanopelagic


  - near-surface parts of the open ocean basins
• Bathypelagic

  Abyssopelagic


  Nektoplanktonic: Deep Waters
• Bathypelagic


  - between depths of 200 m to 2000 m
• Abyssopelagic


  - below 2000 m
• Foraminifera


  - a phylum of singlecelled protists that are found in most marine environments, from the intertidal zone to the deep ocean

  - most useful fossils in stratigraphic works
• foramen


  - where foraminifera got their name from- an opening or tube that interconnects all the chambers of the test.- Fossilized tests are found in sediments as old as theearliest Cambrian (about 545 million years ago)
• test


  - secreted by all except a few of the simplest foraminifers.

  - consists of a complex organic compound (chitin), of cemented arenaceous or other particles, or of calcite or aragonite
• cytoplasm


  - living substance in living forams- differentiated intoectoplasmon the outside, andendoplasmon the inside
• nucleus (nuclei)


  What does endoplasm contain of the cell?
• pseudopodia


  In feeding, the cytoplasm may completely enclose the test, sending out long, threadlike extensions called?
• Chitinous Test


  - A thin, flexible, transparent test composed of complex organic substance (chitin) is believed to be the most primitive
• Arenaceous or Agglutinated Test


  - It consists of foreign particles bound together with cement. The foreign particles may consist of quartz sand, calcareous grains, mica flakes, sponge spicules, and tests of other Forams
• Calcareous Test


  - The microstructural arrangement of materials in calcareous test is quiet variable, and much study is needed in order to determine their precise features
• Porcellaneous

  Hyaline

  Microgranular

  Types of Calcareous Test
• Porcellaneous


  - these tests are formed of small, randomly oriented crystals of high-magnesium calcite giving a smooth white shell.
• Hyaline


  - these tests are formed of larger crystals of low magnesium calcite and have a glassy appearance when well preserved.
• Microgranular


  - these tests are formed of larger crystals of low magnesium calcite and have a glassy appearance, this test can be radial or granular
• Simple tests

  Spiral tests

  Complex tests

  Types of Test in Foraminifera
• Simple tests


  The simplest is a sphere or a tube with an aperture (an opening) at one end: these are known astubular. Chambers may be added in a single row, like a string of beads (uniserial). Those with two rows of chambers are calledbiserialand those with three rows,triserial.
• Spiral tests


  - In some types of foraminifera, the chambers are added in a spiral and take a number of forms.
• Planispiral tests


  - look like a Catherine wheel whilst
• trochospiral tests


  - are like a tiny snail.
• streptospiral tests


  - each chamber is half a whorl
• Complex tests


  - In some types of foraminifera the chambers are complex. Sometimes they can combine different test types.
• chamber


  fundamental unit of the test