Foraminifera

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INTRODUCTION TO FORAMINIFERA

edited by J. Tyszka with contribution from T. Toyofuku

Living foraminifer with radially spreading reticulopodia. Phot. Takashi Toyofuku Foraminifera are single-celled organisms (protists) with characteristic net-like pseudopodia called reticulopodia, and organic or shell-like, agglutinated or secreted outer protective layer, called a test. The relatively small size of tests (shells) makes foraminifera much more useful for biostratigraphic, paleo/environmental, or petroleum exploration applications than larger fossils because there can be thousands of specimens in a small sediment sample.

| Classification of Foraminifera | The oldest fossil foraminifera |

More about FORAMINIFERA:

• FORAM-Links
• Foraminifera in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foraminifera

• Foraminifera in BowserLab:
  • http://www.bowserlab.org/foraminifera/forampage2.htm;
  • http://members.global2000.net/bowser/astrammina.html

• Foraminifera in Ocean World
• DEEP-SEA BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA by Ellen Thomas http://ethomas.web.wesleyan.edu/BFhandout.htm