Paleontology and Stratigraphy Microfossils Project Report

Name ID

: Muhammad Hanif Haziq bin Mohammad : 15323

Sample no : FW2 F2S67 Lecturer : Dr. Aaron William Hunter

1|Page

Introduction Microfossils are tiny remains of protists, bacteria, fungi, animals and plants. Due to their very small size, specialized methods are done for their study such as immersion of conodont bearing sediments in acids. A specialized microscope is used to see the details of microfossil structure. In biostratigraphy, microfossils could aid in determination of ages of rocks and their past environment of deposition. Besides that, microfossils could also help in determination of thermal maturation of rocks which is very important in the oil and gas industry. The aim of this project is: To learn essential practical knowledge of microfossil study. To know the systematic paleontology of the sediment samples chosen (Order, Name, Genus). To learn basic data analysis that tells the relative proportion of microfossils in the sample. To know the correlation between faunal content (types of microfossils present) and environment of deposition. Method Students are presented with specialized processed sediment samples that contain microfossils from Pulau Salakan, Sabah. Brush immersed with a little amount of water was used to pick the microfossils and separate them into four groups within the slide given. A minimum subset of 50 microfossils was separated.

2|Page

Systemic Paleontology Group 1: Sponge spicules

Megasclere Monaxon sponge spicule Phylum: Porifera Class: Desmospongea

Microsclere

Megasclere Triaxon sponge spicule Phylum: Porifera Class: Hexactinellida

3|Page

Material: Most of the triaxon sponge spicules are disarticulated (broken) while the monaxon spicules are articulated. There are 24 Monaxon spicules and 12 triaxon spicules Description: Monaxon- Has a rough surface formed by pointed extensions. The whole structure is slightly curved forming an S-shape. One side is pointed while the other is not. The spicule is translucent. Triaxon- Has a smooth surface with most of them broken on the ends. Seprated into sections. There are some spines with microscleres incorporated in them. The spines are transparent showing a glassy texture. Remarks: Usually sponge skeleton decay leaving only their hard parts which are the spicules. The spicules are separated into megasclere which form part of the sponge skeleton and the microsclere which are scattered throughout the sponge and rarely preserved. Monaxon spicules are single axial spicule forms while Triaxon spicules are six rayed forms of spicules which form a regular network in skeletons of Hexactinellida sponges. Higher level taxonomy need soft tissue studies which are not present in our project. Group 2: Foraminifera

4|Page

Order: Foraminiferida Suborder: Rotaliina

Superfamily: Nodosariacea Family: Nodosariidae Subfamily: Nodosariinae Genus: Lenticulina

Order: Foraminiferida Suborder: Textulariina Superfamily: Lituolacea Family: Textulariidae Subfamily: Textulariinae Genus: Textularia

5|Page

Order: Foraminiferida Suborder: Miliolina Superfamily: Miliolacea Family: Miliolidae Subfamily: Quinqueloculininae Genus: Quinqueloculina

Material: Most of the forams are well articulated with some of them showing abraded surface probably due to high energy currents. There are 9 Lenticulina, 1 Texturalina and 1 Quinqueloculina. Description: Lenticulina have a shiny lustre on its surface. Its aperture is a little abraded while its test is planispiral segregated into chambers. It is translucent. Textularia is composed of biserial test formed by agglutination of detritus by organic cement. The test surface is rough and opaque.

6|Page

Quinqueloculina test is composed of calcite with it being quite shiny but opaque. The surface is smooth convextly forming one big aperture compared to its size.

Remarks: Foraminifera are composed of protoplasm enclosed by a multichambered test. They inhabit all marine environments and have a continuous fossil record from Cambrian until today. They are sensitive to temperature changes thus useful as palaeoclimatic and plaeoceanographic indicators. They are also useful in biostratigraphy. Texturaliina have agglutinated test, Lenticulina have a transparent hyaline large calcite test while Quienqueloculina have an opaque microcrystalline porcelain like test consisting of chambers that double back on each other at 120 degrees. Group 3: Echinoderm skeleton

Phylum: Echinodermata Klein, 1734 Subphylum: Eleutherozoa Bather, 1900 Superclass: Cryptosyringida Smith, 1984 Class: Echinoidea Leske, 1778 Subclass: Euechinoidea Bronn, 1860 Superorder: Atelostomata Zittel, 1879

7|Page

Order: Spatangoida Claus, 1876 Suborder: Micrasterina A. G. Fischer, 1966 Family: Brissidae Gray, 1855 Genus: Brissopsis L. Agassiz, 1847

Class: Echinoidea Leske, 1778 Subclass: Euechinoidea Bronn, 1860 Superorder: Diadematacea Duncan, 1889 Order: Diadematoida Duncan, 1889 Family: Diadematidae Gray, 1855 Genus: Diadema J. E. Gray, 1825

8|Page

Class: Echinoidea Leske, 1778 Subclass: Euechinoidea Bronn, 1860 Superorder: Diadematacea Duncan, 1889 Order: Diadematoida Duncan, 1889

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Echinodermata Klein, 1734 Subphylum: Pelmatozoa Bather, 1900 Class: Crinoidea Miller, 1821 9|Page

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Echinodermata Klein, 1734 Subphylum: Eleutherozoa Bather, 1900 Superclass: Cryptosyringida Smith, 1984 Class: Ophiuroidea Gray, 1840 Materials: Most of the echinoderm are inarticulated. The surface of the echinoderms are abraded while some even are broken (crinoids). Consists of 10 Brissopsis, 2 Diadematoida, 2 Crinoidea(Class), 1 Ophiuroidea (Class). Description:

Brissopsis: Most are long filament like having sections of pores. Quite glassy like texture.

Diadematoida: -Diadema: Consists of upward pointy segments with the upper part being triangular. Has a bronze vitreous appearance.

10 | P a g e

-Unindentified Diadematoid: The middle part of the spine is divided into segments with spiky upward points at intervals. Glassy appearance. Crinoidea: The stem is broken and abraded with only its mid-section identifyable. Has a pentagon core with septa radiating outwards towards the walls. Ophiuroidea: The arm plate is spiky at the middle part with the less to no spikes towards the end. Shiny milky lustre. Remarks: Echinoderms (latin for spiny skinned) are sea organisms which have a basic pentaradial (five-fold) symmetry thus very distinctive form other organisms. Echinoderms have a calcite skeleton (test) where soft tissue is inside and outside of the test. Most echinoderm microfossils are composed of their spines, stems and to a lesser extent arm plate. Group 4: Miscellaneous

(fragment of a coral)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Cnidaria Hatschek, 1888 11 | P a g e

(worm tube)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Annelida Class: Polychaeta Subclass: Palpata Order: Canalipalpata Suborder: Sabellida Family: Serpulidae Johnston, 1865 Genus: Ditrupa Berkeley, 1835

12 | P a g e

(worm tube)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Annelida Class: Polychaeta Subclass: Palpata Order: Canalipalpata Suborder: Sabellida Family: Serpulidae Johnston, 1865 Genus: Protula Risso, 1826

13 | P a g e

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Cuvier, 1797 Subclass: Orthogastropoda Ponder & Lindberg, 1996 SuperOrder: Hypsogastropoda Order: Littorinimorpha SuperFamily: Rissoidea Family: Truncatellidae Genus: Truncatella

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Cuvier, 1797 Subclass: Orthogastropoda Ponder & Lindberg, 1996 Order: Hypsogastropoda SubOrder: Ptenoglossa

14 | P a g e

SuperFamily: Triphoroidea Family: Triphoridae SubFamily: Triphorinae Genus: Aclophora

(Red algae fragment)

Kingdom: Plantae Subkingdom: Biliphyta Division: Rhodophyta

Materials: Most of the misceallaneous group is composed of broken disarticulated fragments that are identifiable but pretty hard to classify specifically. It consists of 3 Gastropod, 3 worm tubes, 2 coral fragment, 2 red algae fragment. Description:
15 | P a g e

Fragment of coral: Has a elongated middle part forming complex branching structures.

Ditrupa: Has a hollow cyclindrical shape being quite translucent. The tube is segmented.

Protula: Much more opaque than Ditrupa being more whitish. Still shows a tubelike form but bent on the middle part. Ends of tube rough.

Truncatella: Has two holes near to its aperture which probably formed by strong currents or crab bores. Has a large aperture with dextral coiling.

Adophora: Long elongated sinistral coiling gastropod. Many tubercles protrude along each coil.

Red algae fragment: Red in colour with many pits/holes. Dull glassy texture.

Remarks: This group is formed from miscelleanous samples being minority than the other three groups. Most are identifiable fragments with only the gastropods showing an almost complete shell structure. The worm tubes are dwelling traces of worms where they burrow in the sediments and emplaster their burrows with cement that is preserved. Result MICROFOSSILS PRESENT GROUP AMOUNT PERCENTAGE Sponge spicules Foraminifera Echinoderm skeleton Miscellaneous 36 50% 11 15.3% 15 20.8% 10 13.9%

16 | P a g e

Percentage of microfossils
Sponge spicules Foraminifera Echinoderm skeleton Miscellaneous

14%

21%

50%

15%

Discussion All the microfossils found are death assemblage as they are transported away from their life position. The sample consists of majority sponge spicules (50%) with most of the spicules being of Monaxon morphology thus indicating a Desmospongea dominated environment. This suggests that the environment of deposition was in warm marine waters that could contain corals. The echinoderms which form the second highest percentage (21%) of the sample are benthic organisms which feed on the sea floor. Brissopsis which constitutes the highest percentage of the echinoderms are burrowing stable marine echinoderms. The presence of their spines suggests that the sediment where they lived has been reworked thus disarticulation of their spines. The next higher group are the foraminiferans (15%) with most consisting of Lenticulina again suggesting a benthic organism. This indicates a deeper marine environment below wave base. Lastly, not much could be said about the miscellaneous group as most of them are fragments of microfossils

17 | P a g e

but the presence of worm tubes agreeably correlates with the echinoderm spined suggesting benhic organism. Overall, as most of the fauna in the microfossils are benthic organisms suggest that the environment of the fauna was deeper marine waters below wave base or shallow calmer marine waters. After the organisms had been deposited, the reworking of sediments by waves, disarticulated and fragmented the fossils bringing them along with sediments to the shoreline. This explains why most of the sample is sand. References
Aquatic invertebrates of Alberta. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sunsite.ualberta.ca/Projects/Aquatic_Invertebrates/?Page=8. Benton, M. H. (2009). Introduction to plaeobiology and the fossil record. West sussex: Wileyblackwell. Genus trait handbook. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.genustraithandbook.org.uk. Hunter, A. W. (n.d.). Paleontology lecture notes. Integrated taxonomic information system. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.itis.gov/. Milsom, C. &. (2004). Fossils at a glance. United kingdom: Blackwell publishing. Morton, A. (n.d.). A collection of Eocene and Oligocene fossils. Retrieved from http://www.dmap.co.uk/fossils/. Smith, A. K. (2010). The phylogeny and classification of post-Palaeozoic echinoids. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology , 8:2, 147-212. Taxonomy of class gastropoda. (2004, January 21). Retrieved from http://www.manandmollusc.net/advanced_introduction/gastropod_taxonomy_1.html. Thomas, D. &. Geologic Problem Solving with Microfossils. Society for sedimentary geology.

18 | P a g e