Evolution Caught in the Act: Evidence from Microfossil Morphology
Microfossils are of prime importance in documenting patterns of evolution due to their great abundance (often tens of thousands to millions of specimens in a hand sample) and widespread distribution (in both time and space) in the fossil record. The term “microfossil” is often used for paleontologic...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2475262200009862 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S2475262200009862 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s2475262200009862 2023-05-15T18:00:58+02:00 Evolution Caught in the Act: Evidence from Microfossil Morphology Culver, Stephen J. 2002 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2475262200009862 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S2475262200009862 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms The Paleontological Society Special Publications volume 11, page 127-138 ISSN 2475-2622 2475-2681 journal-article 2002 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s2475262200009862 2022-04-07T08:07:59Z Microfossils are of prime importance in documenting patterns of evolution due to their great abundance (often tens of thousands to millions of specimens in a hand sample) and widespread distribution (in both time and space) in the fossil record. The term “microfossil” is often used for paleontological material that requires a microscope for its study, no matter what its biological affinities. For the purposes of this article we will be looking at the remains of protists (single-celled organisms). The several examples I discuss in this chapter are of three groups of planktonic (floating) protists: the calcareous nannoplankton (tiny plant-like protists whose single cell is covered in minute calcitic scales), the radiolaria (animal-like protists with siliceous shells), and the planktonic foraminifera (animal-like protists with calcitic shells). These organisms have been the subject of extensive study because the material from which they are often extracted, cores of deep-sea sediments, are usually comprised of a more complete sedimentological record (i.e., have fewer breaks) than shallow shelf deposits. Hypotheses of evolutionary history have been constructed for many groups (lineages) of microfossils using specimens from deep-sea cores. Ancestor-descendent relationships have been recognized by tracking shape and form (morphologic) changes through time. This approach to reconstruction of evolutionary history provides an empirical record of morphologic evolution; that is, a record based on observations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Planktonic foraminifera Cambridge University Press (via Crossref) The Paleontological Society Special Publications 11 127 138 |
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Cambridge University Press (via Crossref) |
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English |
description |
Microfossils are of prime importance in documenting patterns of evolution due to their great abundance (often tens of thousands to millions of specimens in a hand sample) and widespread distribution (in both time and space) in the fossil record. The term “microfossil” is often used for paleontological material that requires a microscope for its study, no matter what its biological affinities. For the purposes of this article we will be looking at the remains of protists (single-celled organisms). The several examples I discuss in this chapter are of three groups of planktonic (floating) protists: the calcareous nannoplankton (tiny plant-like protists whose single cell is covered in minute calcitic scales), the radiolaria (animal-like protists with siliceous shells), and the planktonic foraminifera (animal-like protists with calcitic shells). These organisms have been the subject of extensive study because the material from which they are often extracted, cores of deep-sea sediments, are usually comprised of a more complete sedimentological record (i.e., have fewer breaks) than shallow shelf deposits. Hypotheses of evolutionary history have been constructed for many groups (lineages) of microfossils using specimens from deep-sea cores. Ancestor-descendent relationships have been recognized by tracking shape and form (morphologic) changes through time. This approach to reconstruction of evolutionary history provides an empirical record of morphologic evolution; that is, a record based on observations. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Culver, Stephen J. |
spellingShingle |
Culver, Stephen J. Evolution Caught in the Act: Evidence from Microfossil Morphology |
author_facet |
Culver, Stephen J. |
author_sort |
Culver, Stephen J. |
title |
Evolution Caught in the Act: Evidence from Microfossil Morphology |
title_short |
Evolution Caught in the Act: Evidence from Microfossil Morphology |
title_full |
Evolution Caught in the Act: Evidence from Microfossil Morphology |
title_fullStr |
Evolution Caught in the Act: Evidence from Microfossil Morphology |
title_full_unstemmed |
Evolution Caught in the Act: Evidence from Microfossil Morphology |
title_sort |
evolution caught in the act: evidence from microfossil morphology |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2475262200009862 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S2475262200009862 |
genre |
Planktonic foraminifera |
genre_facet |
Planktonic foraminifera |
op_source |
The Paleontological Society Special Publications volume 11, page 127-138 ISSN 2475-2622 2475-2681 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s2475262200009862 |
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The Paleontological Society Special Publications |
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11 |
container_start_page |
127 |
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138 |
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1766170256487743488 |