palynology and micropaleo Flashcards
interdisciplinary science between geology and biology, particulary on botany
palynology
forms the exine of pollens and sporoderm of the spores and which consists in extremely resistant biological polymers
sporopollenin
most abundant fossil of terrestrial origanisms
spores and pollens
classified on laesurae
spores
a spore with 3 laesurae
trilete
a spore with one laesurae
monolete
classified on colpation or sulcation, male gametes produced by plants
pollen grains
age of earliest gymnosperm
late devonian
age of earliest angiosperm
early cretaceous
group of unicellular protists that are recognized by their golden brown chloroplasts (15-100 μm)
dinoflagellates
are defined as small, organic-walled microfossils of unknown biological affinity
acritarchs
large (50-200 μm) flask shaped palynomorphs
chitinozoa
unicellular microorganism with shells/tests mainly made up of calcium carbonate
foraminifera
temporary extensions on the surface of a microorganism
pseudopods
free floating foraminifer, in the upper 200 m water column, early jurassic
planktonic
bottom dwelling forams, early cambrian
benthic
single-celled phytoplanktons that live in the upper layers of ocean, surrounded by atleast 30 microscopic plating of carbonates (cocolith)
cocolithophores
individual carbonate platelet or ring screted by cocolithophores
cocolith
resting or dormant resting cell of dinoflagellate
dynocyst
when dinoflagellates reproduce rapidly
red tide
siliceous microfossils
protists
single most important group of oceanic primary producers, early jurassic
diatoms (greek “diatomos” meaning “cut in two”)
fine-grained higly siliceous rock rich in diatom’s remains called frustules
diatomite
open ocean, silica-secreting, zooplanktons
unique feature: central capsule - divides into endoplasma and ectoplasma
early cambrian
radiolarians
planktonic marine chromists that are both photosynthetic and heterotrophic, early creataceous
silicoflagellate “golden algae”
tests: built from organic matter and mineral cemented together by an organic calcareous cement
agglutinated
tests: made up of calcium carbonate or aragonite
calcareous
tests: calcareous wall whose shells have a clear or translucent appearance with tiny pores
hyaline
tests: composed of microscopic needles formed insed the foram and moved outside of the cell
porcelaneous
tests: made of tightly packed grains of calcium carbonate, but with no obvious cement
microgranular
tests: pore diameter less than 1 μm
micro perforate
tests: pore around 1-3 μm
finely perforate
tests: pores greater than 3 μm
macro-perforate
benthic forams on the surface
epibenthos
benthic forams buried in the surface
endobenthos
benthic: 0-1 cm depth in the sediments
epifaunal
benthic: 1-2 cm depth in the sediments
shallow infaunal
benthic: 2-3 cm depth in the sediments
intermediate infaunal
benthic: 3-15 cm depth in the sediments
deep infaunal
microorganism that swim or go against the currents
nektonic
study of the past climates
paleoclimatology
extent of heat driven reactions that alter the composition of organic matter
thermal maturation
