Foraminifera
Where in NZ | Most marine rocks throughout New Zealand |
When | Some Mesozoic (250-65 million years ago) forms but the majority are Cenozoic (65 million years ago to present) |
Scale | Up to a few centimetres, but most are pinhead-sized, about 0.2 to 1 mm. |
What are they?
-
Foraminifera are the most abundant animal fossils.
- Single-celled, amoeba-like, protozoans which form a shell, or test, either from calcium carbonate (calcite) or from cemented grains of sand or other material (such as sponge spicules).
- They live exclusively in the sea, but are found from the highest tide line to the greatest depths of the Earth's oceans.
Used for:
- petroleum exploration
- dating marine sedimentary rocks
- studying ancient environments and evolution
See some examples in our image gallery.