Lyell Collection
Journal of the Geological Society
Lyell Centre  |   Lyell Collection  |   Subscriptions   |   Geological Society  |   Email alerts  |   Online bookshop  |   Help

Keywords:
Author:
Advanced search>>
This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (5)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by HART, M.B.
Right arrow Articles by SMART, C.W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
GeoRef
Right arrow GeoRef Citation
Journal of the Geological Society; 2003; v. 160; issue.3; p. 341-343;
DOI: 10.1144/0016-764903-003
© 2003 Geological Society of London

Short Communication

The search for the origin of the planktic Foraminifera

M.B. HART1, M.D. HYLTON2, M.J. OXFORD3, G.D. PRICE1, W. HUDSON1 & C.W. SMART1

1 1Department of Geology & Plymouth Environmental Research Centre, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK (e-mail: mhart@plymouth.ac.uk)
2 2Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1ET, UK
3 3Robertson Research International Ltd, Llanrhos, Llandudno, Gwynedd LL30 1SA, UK

Planktic Foraminifera are an extremely abundant, important and successful group of marine protists. They are particularly useful in reconstructing past environments and for biostratigraphic dating. Despite their importance, the origin of the group is uncertain. Previous work has suggested that they evolved from a benthic ancestor during the Triassic or, perhaps, the Mid-Jurassic (?Bajocian), but a reason for their origination has remained unclear. Here, we present evidence from the Toarcian (early Jurassic) of NW Europe that the origin of the planktic Foraminifera may have been one of the results of the early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event. This event appears to have been associated with a massive dissociation of gas hydrates and other, perhaps related, water chemistry changes.


Keywords: Planktic Foraminifera, Toarcian, gas hydrates, mass extinctions.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Journal of the Geological SocietyHome page
B. A. Caswell, A. L. Coe, and A. S. Cohen
New range data for marine invertebrate species across the early Toarcian (Early Jurassic) mass extinction
Journal of the Geological Society, 2009; 166: 859 - 872.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
K. F. Darling, E. Thomas, S. A. Kasemann, H. A. Seears, C. W. Smart, and C. M. Wade
Surviving mass extinction by bridging the benthic/planktic divide
PNAS, 2009; 106: 12629 - 12633.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Bulletin de la Societe Geologique de FranceHome page
W. Hudson, M. B. Hart, and C. W. Smart
Palaeobiogeography of early planktonic foraminifera
Bulletin de la Societe Geologique de France, 2009; 180: 27 - 38.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]