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1 Foraminifera

Foraminifera are single-celled protozoans that produce shells made of various materials like chitin, calcium carbonate, or agglutinated grains. They range in size from 0.1 to 1 mm. Their shells, or tests, can be composed of one chamber or many chambers. Tests have different wall structures depending on their material, and new chambers are added periodically as the protozoan grows. Foraminifera are classified into suborders and superfamilies based on their test morphology.

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346 views11 pages

1 Foraminifera

Foraminifera are single-celled protozoans that produce shells made of various materials like chitin, calcium carbonate, or agglutinated grains. They range in size from 0.1 to 1 mm. Their shells, or tests, can be composed of one chamber or many chambers. Tests have different wall structures depending on their material, and new chambers are added periodically as the protozoan grows. Foraminifera are classified into suborders and superfamilies based on their test morphology.

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Mussawer Hasnain
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Foraminifera

Phylum: Protozoa
Subphylum: Sarcodina
Class: Rhizopoda
Order: Foraminiferida
Foraminifera are single-celled animals protected by hard shells of different types of
materials (chitinous, calcareous, agglutinatd, and siliceous). They are microscopic in size,
and generally range from 0.1 to 1 mm. (approximately the size of a grain of sand or smaller).
However, in the geologic past, forams with test diameters greater than 10 cm. (4 in.) were not
unusual.
Wall structure and composition
Chitinous wall: present in fresh-water benthic
foraminifera.
Agglutinated wall: -----only feature for benthic----
foraminifer builds its test wall by cementing together
exogenous grains (e.g. sand grains, oolites, fine grains of
calcite or sponge spicule) by carbonate mineralization.
Wall is a simple layer that grades from fine grains inside
to coarse grains outside
Calcareous (Ca CO3) wall: present for both benthic and
planktonic foraminifera: (hyaline or porcelaneous)
Hyaline/glassy wall: transparent, perforate, crystals are
radial, with lamellae (laminations) that separated by
organic layers.
Porcelaneous wall: shiny, smooth, crystals randomly
arranged
Examples of wall structures in foraminifera (Brasier, 1980)
Chamber growth and development
1- Protoplasm moves gradually whereas test develops
periodically at regular intervals
2- Protoplasm (pseudopodia) occupies the space of the
new chamber, then organic wall builds, then finally
agglutinated or calc. materials add in the outer side
or on both sides.
Foraminiferal tests may be unilocular or multilocular
In multilocular tests, if the last formed chamber does not
overlap the previous one, wall will be non-laminar. If the
last formed chamber overlaps the previous one, wall will
be bi or multilaminar.
Non-laminar and multilaminar walls in foraminifera (Brasier, 1980).
General classification and test morphology
1- Suborder Allogromiina:
2- Suborder Textulariina:
3- Suborder Fusulinina:
4- Suborder Miliolina:
5- Suborder Rotaliina: (contains many superfamilies)
Superfamily: Nodosariacea
Superfamily: Buliminacea
Superfamily: Discorbacea
Superfamily: Orbitoidacea
Superfamily: Spirillinacea
Superfamily: Duostominacea
Superfamily: Robertinacea
Superfamily: Globigerinacea
Superfamily: Rotaliacea
Superfamily: Cassidulinacea

Superfamily: Carterinacea
Images of suborder Allogromiina: a) Allogromia; b) Shepheardella
Images of suborder Textulariina (superfamily Ammodiscacea): c) Rhabdammina;
d) Technitella; e) Sorosphaera; f) Saccammina and g) Tolypammina. From
Brasier, 1980.
Images of suborder Textulariina (superfamily Lituolacea): a) Coskinolina; b)
Cyclolina; c) Cyclopsinella; d) Dicyclina; e) Orbitolina. From Brasier, 1980.
Images of suborder Textulariina (superfamily Lituolacea): a) Reophax; b)
Hormosina; c) Miliammina; d) Cyclammina; e) Loftusia; f) Spirocyclina.
From Brasier, 1980.
Images of suborder Textulariina
(superfamily Lituolacea):
a) Ammobaculite;
b) Textularia;
c) Bigenerina;
d) Verneuilina;
e) Trochammina. From Brasier, 1980.
Images of suborder Fusulinina (superfamily Parathuramminacea): a)
Saccaminopsis and b) Earlandinita. Superfamily Endothyracea: c)
Nodosinella; d) Palaeotextularia; e) Tetrataxia. From Brasier, 1980.

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