Fossil Protista

Kingdom Protista Phylum Sarcomastigophora Subphylum Sarcodina Class Granuloreticulosa Subclass Rhizopoda Order Foraminifera Suborder Allogrominna simple, organic Suborder Textulariina agglutinated sand Suborder Lagenina uniserial sac-shaped Suborder Fusulina large spindle-shaped Suborder Miliolina imperforate porcelaneous calcite Suborder Rotaliina hyaline multichambered spirals Suborder Globigeriina bubble-shaped spirals Subclass Radiolaria Order Spumellaria spherical symmetry Order Nasellaria conical symmetry Division Chrysophyta (“golden brown algae”) Class Bacillariophyceae diatoms Class Coccolithophyceae coccolithophorids (calc. nannofossils)

Protoplasm Pseudopodia Algal symbionts Test

Alternation of Generations

Foraminifer Tests – geometric patterns of overlapping chambers Cushman Foundation

Foram Evolution Cambrian - agglut. cylindrical tubes Silurian – enrolled tubes Devonian – multichambered agglut. forms Carboniferous – bi-, triserial, and trochospiral forms, agglut. and calcitic (appearance of miliolines & lagenines) Carb-Perm – Fusulinaceans – large “grain of wheat” shaped Mesozoic – benthics diversify and spread to all modern habitats Planktonics first appear in mid Jurassic 3 sp. of planktonic survived K/T, diversified in Cenozoic Large Rotaliines (nummulitids, discocyclinids, lepidocyclinids) up to 3 cm developed E/O extinction Good examples of iterative evolution, convergent evolution

Fusulinids

Nummulites

RADIOLARIA

Nassellaria - conical Spumellaria - spherical

Radiolarian Evolution Radiolarian Ecology Marine – depths less than 1000m (usually < 100m with symbiotes) Species are depth zoned Zonation may be more temperature than depth Distribution in seds eflects the CCD Used in CLIMAP Apparently reproduce by asexual cloning Radiolarian Evolution Cambrian to Recent Depth zonation by Silurian Strongly affected by Permo-Triassic ext. but not by K/T First Nassellarians inTriassic Diversity peaked in Cretaceous and late Cenozoic Many morphotypes may be ecophenotypic variants

DIATOMS Test = frustule Radial symm = Centrales Bilateral symm = Pennales

Diatom Ecology Diatom Evolution Marine & fresh – depths less than 100m (photosynthetic algae) Important in Food Chain Most of life repro asexually - getting smaller as new valve fits inside old When too small repro sexually resting spore stage - statospore common in upwelling, cold waters, good indicators of paleoenvironment Diatom Evolution Jurassic to Recent High diversity by Cretaceous suggests unpreserved prior history Unaffected by K/T Trend toward reduced silica

Coccolithophores Coccoliths Coccospheres

Coccolith Ecology Coccolith Evolution Shallow marine (<200m), most are euryhaline Temperature zonation Distribution reflects CCD and “fecal express” Very small - coccosphere can fit inside a foram test Coccoliths formed in interior vesicles Coccoliths are not necessarily species specific Single species may have different types in layers Most repro by asexual fission Some have alternating flagellated motile and non-motile stages May have sexual repro Coccolith Evolution (Paleozoic ?) Late Triassic to Recent Decimated by K/T – 15-18 species survived Present day diversity at a minimum 1 Species may have several morphotypes