Foraminifera (Forams)- Invertebrate Paleontology | GEO GIRL

Forams are microscopic invertebrates that can be very useful in reconstructing paleoclimate (namely, paleotemperature), paleooceanography, paleobathymetry, and depositional environment (which is helpful in the search for oil). This video covers the systematics / classification, ecology, anatomy, reproduction, morphology, and evolution of foraminifers. Foraminifera are single-cellular protists and can be separated into two major groups based on living behavior, planktonic and benthic forams. Planktonic forams live in the water column and fall to the seafloor when they die. Benthic forams live on or in the seafloor. Planktonic and benthic forams have different morphologies and therefore can be easily told apart even in the fossil record. Another important distinction to be made among forams is their wall structure and composition. Foram walls (the walls of their tests or skeletons) can be calcareous (porcelaneous or microgranular), hyaline (glassy silica), or agglutinated (non-calcareous particles). They can also be distinguished between microspheric and megalospheric forms (aka: asexual and sexual forms) because they alternate generations. One of the most important groups of forams is Fusulinida. The fusulinids lived from the Mississippian to the Permian periods during the later Paleozoic. These fusulinids are great index fossils in that they have a short time range, distinctive morphology, and were geographically widespread and abundant during their reign. Fusuliniid wall structures showed clear evolutionary trends which are covered in this video as well. Lastly, the evolution of foraminifera, especially planktonic forams, shows cool trends, such as iterative evolution (repeated evolution) contradicting the rule that evolution cannot be repeated or reversed!

References:
Prothero, D.R. (2013). Bringing Fossils to Life: An Introduction to Paleobiology. Third Edition. Columbia University Press: https://amzn.to/383FuYX
Shout out to Dr. Jenny Rashall and Dr. Merlynd Nestell for their contribution to my knowledge on the topic of forams and paleo in general!

GEO GIRL Website: https://www.geogirlscience.com/ (visit my website to see all my courses, shop merch, learn more about me, and donate to support the channel if you'd like!)

0:00 What are forams?
1:07 Planktonic vs. benthic forams
2:38 Why study forams?
3:51 General foram ecology
5:11 Foram reproduction
6:58 Specific foram ecology
12:00 Foram test morphology
18:18 Foram classification
19:57 Fusulinids !
27:58 Foram evolution
31:45 Upcoming content!
32:36 Bloopers!

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