microfossils of pulau salakan, sabah
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Paleontology and Stratigraphy
Microfossils Project Report
Name : Muhammad Hanif Haziq bin Mohammad
ID : 15323
Sample no : FW2 F2S67
Lecturer : Dr. Aaron William Hunter
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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 thesample.
To know the correlation between faunal content (types of microfossils present) andenvironment 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.
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Systemic Paleontology
Group 1: Sponge spicules
Megasclere Monaxon sponge spicule
Phylum: Porifera
Class: Desmospongea
Megasclere Triaxon sponge spicule
Phylum: Porifera
Class: Hexactinellida
Microsclere
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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 isslightly 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 intosections. 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
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Order: Foraminiferida
Suborder: Rotaliina
Superfamily: Nodosariacea
Family: Nodosariidae
Subfamily: Nodosariinae
Genus: Lenticulina
Order: Foraminiferida
Suborder: Textulariina
Superfamily: Lituolacea
Family: Textulariidae
Subfamily: Textulariinae
Genus: Textularia
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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 itstest is planispiral segregated into chambers. It is translucent.
Textularia is composed of biserial test formed by agglutination of detritus by organiccement. The test surface is rough and opaque.
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Quinqueloculina test is composed of calcite with it being quite shiny but opaque. Thesurface 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
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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
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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
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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 liketexture.
Diadematoida:-Diadema: Consists of upward pointy segments with the upper part being
triangular. Has a bronze vitreous appearance.
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(worm tube)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Polychaeta
Subclass: Palpata
Order: Canalipalpata
Suborder: Sabellida
Family: Serpulidae Johnston, 1865
Genus: Ditrupa Berkeley, 1835
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(worm tube)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Polychaeta
Subclass: Palpata
Order: Canalipalpata
Suborder: Sabellida
Family: Serpulidae Johnston, 1865
Genus: Protula Risso, 1826
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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
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Fragment of coral: Has a elongated middle part forming complex branchingstructures.
Ditrupa: Has a hollow cyclindrical shape being quite translucent. The tube issegmented.
Protula: Much more opaque than Ditrupa being more whitish. Still shows a tube-like form but bent on the middle part. Ends of tube rough.
Truncatella: Has two holes near to its aperture which probably formed by strongcurrents or crab bores. Has a large aperture with dextral coiling.
Adophora: Long elongated sinistral coiling gastropod. Many tubercles protrudealong 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 Sponge spicules Foraminifera Echinoderm skeleton Miscellaneous
AMOUNT 36 11 15 10
PERCENTAGE 50% 15.3% 20.8% 13.9%
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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
50%
15%
21%
14%
Percentage of microfossils
Sponge spicules Foraminifera Echinoderm skeleton Miscellaneous
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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: Wiley-
blackwell.
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.
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