Types of microfossils and environmental
significance of fossils and trace fossils
BY: SADIAH BASHIR
ROLL NO:04
DEPT:EARTH SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR
TYPES OF MICROFOSSILS
Introduction
Microfossils are the remains of very small
single celled and multicelled organisms .
These are usually less than 2mm in size.
It is not restricted to a single kingdom of life as it
includes the tiny remains of many groups such as
protists,bacteria,fungi,animals and plants.
The smallest microfossil may be only 0.001 mm
and the largest are in the range from 1 to 2 mm.
Small size is the main criterion for
classifying microfossils.
NOTE :It is important to note that some
remains of foraminifers may be more
than 2mm or about 15cm in
diameter ,but they are still referred to
microfossils.
TYPES OF MICROFOSSILS
On, the basis of the composition and
structure of test ,microfossils are divided
into following two groups :
Main Microfossil Groups:
Mineral walled microfossils
~Foraminifers
~Radiolarians
~Diatoms
~Conodonts
Non Mineral {organic} walled microfossils
~Acritarchs
~Dinoflagellates
~Pollen and Spores
Mineral Walled Microfossils
This group of Microfossils includes the remains
of those micro-organisms that have mineralised
tests.
The shells of mineral walled microfossils are
commonly made up of mineral matter such as
Calcium,Silica,and Phosphate.
Lets discuss the impotant fossils belonging
to mineral walled microfossils
FORAMINIFERS
~single celled protozoans .
~May be planktic or benthic in mode of life.
~The majority of foraminiferal tests are multi-
chambered bearing small internal openings known as
foramina.
~They range from the Cambrian to the Present day.
~Planktonic forms became common in Mesozoic.
~Size :1 micrometer to 110 mm
~Composition: Calcite
Foraminifers have proved to be the excellent
Biostratigraphic tools used extensively in the oil
industry.
Also provides us with evidence of how evolutionary
change occurs.
RADIOLARIANS
~Single celled planktic protozoans
characterised by radial symmetry.
~Exclusively Marine.
~Range in age from Cambrian to Present.
~Size: 30 micrometer to 2mm.
~Composition: the intricate ,delicate tests are
made of Silica .
why they are useful in Stratigraphy ?
Global distribution
Present in all levels of the water column
Rapid Evolution.
DIATOMS
~Diatoms are Unicellular photosynthesising
non motile algae that live in almost all kinds
of environments from marine to fresh water
~Their skeleton ,called frustule is made up
of silica and consists of two unequal valves.
~Age range from Mesozoic to Present.
CONODONTS
~Extinct chordates resembling
eels,classified in the class Conodonta.
~They are extremely useful microfossils for
stratigraphy as few other microfossils are
found in such large abundance in the
paleozoic aged rocks .
~The Conodonts are composed of calcium
phosphate.
~Size range from 200 micrometer to 5 mm.
NON MINERAL WALLED
MICROFOSSILS
This group of microfossils includes the
remains of those micro-organisms whose
shell wall is made up of hard and tough
organic or non-mineralised proteinaceous
material.
They get easily fossilised and are very
common in sedimentary rocks.
DINOFLAGELLATES
~Dinoflagellates are small,aquatic ,single-celled
eukaryotic micro-organisms commonly regarded as
algae.
~they possess both plant like and animal like
characters.
~They range in age from Paleozoic to Present.
~About 10% dinoflagellates develop tough and
resistant organic structures called Cyst ,which
fossilise freely.
ACRITARCHS:
~Acritarchs are microscopic organic walled vesicular
microfossils with unknown biological affinities.
~They are exclusively marine and are the oldest
known group of microfossils
POLLEN AND SPORES
Both are the part of the plant reproductive
system.
Spores are the reproductive bodies of Lower
vascular plants .
Their earliest occurrences are known from
Silurian rocks.
Pollensare the sperm carrying reproductive
bodies of seed plants.
They occur first in Devonian rocks.
The occurrences of spores and pollen
reflect the Evolutionary history of Land plants.
Environmental significance of Fossils
Climate change records: fossils document past
climate conditions ,temperature flactuations and
atmospheric compositions.
Evolutionary history: fossils reveal the evolution
of life ,species diversity and extinction events.
Paleoecology: fossils reconstruct ancient
ecosystems ,habitats and species interactions.
Geological time scale: fossils help establish the
geological time scale ,dating rocks and events.
Natural Resource Mangement: fossils aid in the
discovery and management of natural
resources such as oil ,gas and minerals.
Environmental significance of
Trace Fossils
Paleoecological Reconstruction: Trace fossils
reveal ancient habitats ,species interactions and
ecosystem dynamics.
Sedimentary Environment Interpretation:
Trace fossils indicate depositional
environments ,such as rivers ,oceans and deltas.
Climate Change Records: Trace fossils document
climate driven changes in sedimentation,erosion and
ecosystem.
Tectonic Activity: Trace fossils indicate tectonic
activity ,faulting and mountain building.
Ancient Life Habitats :Trace fossils reveal habitats
of extinct organisms .
THANK
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