A foram iniferan adventure Michael Hesemann (Germany)

wo years ago, consists of one or more chambers. I joined an Fine strands of plasma branch Feeding and Tevening course and merge from the main opening reproduction on microfossils. I started and, sometimes, through pores by learning the proper use of to the outside to catch food. The Quite different feeding strategies microscopes and observing 4 to name “” refers to the have been observed, including diets 5cm (that is, rather big) fossil otholiths openings (that is, foramen) between consisting of algae and zooplankton, (that is, the ear stones of fish). Soon the chambers. The test size usually omnivorous and parasitic diets, and ostracods, nummulites, smaller ranges from 0.1 to 1.5mm, but it may even cannibalistic feeding. In fact, foraminifera and diatoms were given be as large as 15cm in some cases. foraminifera inhabiting the photic to the class and I was amazed by the About 4,000 recent and 55,000 fossil zone often live symbiotically with outstanding and unusual structures species have been recognised. The photosynthesizing algae such as I saw. In addition, we also learnt taxon is under permanent review, as diatoms and dinoflagellates. that the Egyptian pyramids of Giza it is based on the tests and, therefore, Studies of about 30 recent species consist to 40% of nummulite tests and is defined morphologically rather have revealed different reproduction that 60% of the world rocks that are than genetically. The tests may be cycles in what is a typical and derived from marine environments agglutinated, that is, made of particles complex alternation between sexual contain the remains of foraminifera. cemented together as seen in the and asexual generations. These As a result, I started to collect Textularia (see fig. 18). They may be two generations may differ quite foraminifera and got in contact also solely calcareous in different ways substantially in size and test-shape, with hobby micropalaeontologists. In such as transparent, porcellaneous or and some larger foraminifera are March 2008, I received a 100g letter microgranular. The test and cement is thought to have three forms. A single containing tiny plastic-bags weighing secreted and the wall may be single or individual may have a lifespan from a between 10 to 15g. To me, it was multi-layered, perforate or solid. The few weeks to as long as five years. an overwhelming miracle - hundreds test-morphology varies enormously of foraminifera from the Pleistocene from single to numerous chambers, Palaeoecological rocks of Torrente Stirone in Northern and is extremely diverse, as is shown significance Italy. in the accompanying pictures. My foraminiferan adventure had well Today, foraminifera inhabit all parts The oldest tests have been found in and truly begun. of the oceans, from the poles to rocks that are 550 million the equator and from the shallow years old. These Textulariina were What are intertidal regions to the deep sea. simple, agglutinated tubes and foraminifera? They live in great numbers and play a still exist today (see fig. 18). They significant role in the food chain, the became more abundant in the Foraminifera are single celled economy and balance of the biosphere. and multi-chambered protozoans with an amoeboid internal For example, planctonic members of forms appeared first in the structure consisting of a nucleus, the genus live drifting in - the Fusulinacea. This suborder vacuoles and cytoplasm. The main the ocean, whereas benthic species of died out at the end of the Palaeozoic parts are usually protected by an the Pyrgo genus (see page 18) are sea- (250mya) but, in the meantime, other internal shell called a “test”, which floor dwellers. suborders had emerged - Involutina,

From Ernst Haeckel: Kunst-formen der Natur, Diagram of a foraminifera cell structure. 1899-1904, Plate 2. Residue on a sample plate.

16. Michael Hesemann (Germany)

Fig. 2. Ammonia beccarii, Crete.

Fig. 3. Amphicoryna scalaris, El-Alquian/ Spain, Miocene.

Fig. 1. . Ammonia beccarii, Torrente Stirone, Pleistocene.

Fig. 6. Calcarina spengleri, SE Australia, recent.

Fig. 5. C. spengleri inside view.

Fig. 4. Bulimina sp., Torrente Stirone, Pleistocene.

Fig. 9. Elphidium crispum, Torrente Stirone, Pleistocene.

Fig. 8. Discorbis sp., Alquian/Spain, Miocene. Fig. 7. Dentalina sp., Spitsbergen.

Fig. 11. Lagena sp., Kobrow, Germany, Fig. 10. Lagena sp., Spitsbergen. Oligocene. Fig. 12. Globigerina sp., Torrente Stirone, Pleistocene. 17. Lagenina and Miliolina (see fig. 20). Important Mesozoic events included the appearance of Rotaliina, complex Textulariina and the first planktonic Globigerinina. At the K/T boundary, 75% of species died out. However, due to their remarkable ecological flexibility, foraminifera soon radiated out again to fill the world’s oceans.

Biostratigraphy Textulariina: Rhabdammins abyssorum, recent, bottom of the Greenland Sea. warm water species of today may fossil record, the morphological have coldwater ancestors. However, approach will remain, as only the with passage back in time, the fossil fossilised tests are left. faunas are increasingly different from present ones. So, the reconstruction Wall composition of past environments becomes more Agglutinated, porcellaneous difficult. However, for the Neogene, and hyaline tests can easily be Palaeogene and the , distinguished. Agglutinated ones are salinity, depth (and, therefore, sea- built of extraneous material cemented level), water temperature and oxygen/ together by secretions. Quartz grains, methane content at different depths, various heavy minerals, clay, mollusc the reconstruction of water currents fragments and organic debris, and masses, seasonal variation, including sponge spicules, and even marine bio-production and much the tests of other foraminifera, are Eocene nummulite found sliced in matrix near more information can all be derived commonly used. Porcellaneous tests Schwerin, Germany. from fossil foram assemblages. are mainly found in the suborder As hundreds of specimens may be The scale may be global, regional Miliolina. However, most species have found well preserved in small chips or restricted to specific localities. hyaline tests allowing a more or less of rock, foraminifera are extensively Archaeologists have also used the good view through the wall inside. used for biostratigraphy from the foram-record to reconstruct ancient Only experts can usually recognise Upper onwards. The harbour-developments. details such as the type of cement, focus is on correlating and assigning For example, the coiling of recent microgranular tests or how many relative ages of rock layers by using the N. pachyderma (figs. 13 and 14), layers the wall is made of. However, foraminiferan assemblages contained is correlated with ocean-surface the ornamentation of the test surface within them. The first and last temperatures. Dominantly left- and a tooth in the main opening occurrence of marker species is used coiling populations occur in polar/ may be more easily visible (see, for for fine biozonation, even at a regional sub polar waters, whereas right- example, the bifid tooth below). scale. In fact, the oil industry has long coiling specimens prevail under more regarded foram-faunas as a cheap and temperate conditions. The change reliable means for palaeontological of dominance in coiling coincides correlation and monitoring well with a 7.2oC surface temperature. drillings (see Cushman 1928). Single In April, the 7.2oC isotherm runs in layers may be identified down to a the northern Atlantic from southern width of 10cm and it is possible to Canada to Iceland and down to the work out a precise framework for an Shetlands. Therefore, coiling ratios oil exploration site. However, absolute of N. pachyderma in sediment cores age estimates can only be made if are widely used to infer ancient the fossils encountered in a sample environments. can be related to the global zonation schemes that exist today. Classification Species of organisms are commonly Miliolina: Pyrgo sp. recent, Greenland Sea. Palaeoecology and distinguished by their DNA and Palaeoclimate ability to interbreed to produce fertile offspring. However, foraminifera The idea that ‘the present is the key are commonly distinguished by to the past’ is a basic concept in their morphology: wall composition palaeontology. It is commonly used in and structure, chamber shape paleo-environmental studies based and arrangement, aperture and on foraminiferan assemblages, but ornamentation. For recent species, with certain limitations: the older DNA analysis and life-cycle studies the forams, the bigger the differences have led to some new taxational views that may exist in their lifestyle when and, in the future, a major revision compared to extant relatives. Indeed, may be possible. However, for the Quinqueloculina sp. Oligocene, Germany.

18. Fig. 14. Neogloboquadrina pachyderma. Weddell Sea, Antartica, left coiling. Fig. 13. Neogloboquadrina pachyderma. Weddell Sea, Antartica.

Fig. 15. Peneroplis, Crete, recent.

Fig. 16. Planorbulina mediterranensis, bottom view, Crete, recent.

Fig. 17. Planorbulina mediterranensis, top view, Crete, recent.

Fig. 20. Miliolina: Quinqueloculina sp., Torrente Stirone, Pleistocene.

Fig. 18. Textularia sp., recent, found on the beach of Malia/Crete in Greece. Fig. 19. Spirillina vivipara, Spitsbergen.

Fig. 21. Nonionellina sp., Spitsbergen. Fig. 22. Triloculina sp., Torrente Stirone, Pleistocene. 19. If foraminifera are attached to algae Dry the resulting material and store it or other substrate, one side will in a separate write-on bag or glass jar. resemble the substrate, as seen in Then, spread 2 to 5g on a professional the bottom view of Planorbulina in sorting tray or any flat surface, such as fig. 16. the lid of a jam jar. If well spread out, the forams can easily be picked out Hints for collecting with a fine brush or mounted needle Start by collecting living examples of and placed onto microfossil slides. foraminifera from the beach at low These are commonly used for storage tide. Take different sized write-on and fit into special boxes or trays. bags, a pencil, a spoon (to pick up In fact, a shoe box can hold a whole samples) and a magnifying glass with collection of 100,000 foraminifera! Nonion, recent, Skagerrak. you. Look for stripes of visible small The accompanying material should shells, which are laid down by the also be kept, but will need more waves at high tide. Trenches around space. spur dykes are also good places to A more difficult task will be the look. However, do not dig. Instead, identification of your finds. There are take the material from the surface. several good sources of information Also, take samples from different on foraminifera and I have included spots on the same beach in 20 to some of these in a list of further 50g write-on bags. Note the localities reading below, or you can use my immediately, not at home, in case you own website (www. foraminifera.eu), forget the details. which has some information on it. To get fossil foraminifera, start with clay or marly material, or chalkstone. My foraminiferan adventure goes on, Haynesina, recent, Skagerrak. You can carefully crumble it in water as there is so much stuff waiting and washing-up liquid, either by to be explored and discovered. Are hand or with a mortar. Cracking, by you ready too for a foraminiferan freezing and heating may be of help, adventure? but can also damage bigger tests. Chemicals are not needed for such a Acknowledgments material. All SEM foraminifera images have been created by Dr. Rosenfeldt, Karl- Technical equipment Otto Bock and the author at the A stereo-microscope, with light from SEM of the Microbiological Society above and at least 20x magnification, of Hamburg (www. mikrohamburg. will be sufficient to observe most de). The optical images were taken Agglutinated Psammosphaera fusca, recent, foraminifera. For example, a model of by the author. Most samples of rock, bottom of the Greenland Sea. the sort is a good starting point and beach-sand or unsorted foraminifera Chamber arrangement can be purchased for less than £50. were sent to the author by family If you want to intensify your studies, members, friends and also by The simplest and earliest chamber you can use this type of (portable) micropalaeontologists, who have architecture is represented by single microscope in the field. At home and stumbled across my webpage: www. chambered tests, which are referred for taking photographs, you will need foraminifera.eu. to as being “unilocular”. They may a trinocular microscope with three be tubular, radial branched, globose, tubes. Send me your material. I will publish irregular or flask-shaped, as in The material must be separated by pictures of it online! Contact me at the recent Lagena sp. from arctic being washed in water into finer and [email protected]. Spitsbergen seen in fig. 10. finer portions, using sieves of 100, 500 Michael Hesemann, Hamburg, Multilocular tests may be grouped into and 1,000 microns or similar to wash Germany is a member of the forms with serial, spiral or milioline away the debris. Cheap sieves are Microbiological Society of Hamburg. arranged chambers. The Dentalina available in shops selling aquariums sp., shown in fig. ,7 is uniserial. Bi and or more expensive ones are available Further Reading tri-serial foraminifera have two and from more specialist suppliers (such Armstrong/Brasier: Microfossils 2nd three alternating rows of chambers. as UKGE). ed., 2005. Examples of a milioline structure Cushman, Joseph A.: Foraminifera, are seen in the genera Pyrgo and their classification and economic use, Quinqueloculina shown in fig. 20. 1st ed. 1928/ 4th ed. 1959. Spiral tests may have identical sides, Loeblich and Tappan, Treatise on as is seen in Spirillina vivipara. These Invertebrate Palaeontology, Part C are referred to as “planispiral”. Where Vol.1+2, 1964. material is added in a helical coil, John Murray: Ecology and the test is called “trochospiral”, as in Applications of Benthic Foraminifera, Ammonia beccarii. UKGE sells all of the equipment featured. Cambridge Univ. Press 2006.

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