microfossils of pulau salakan, sabah

7/28/2019 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


Suborder: Textulariina

Superfamily: Lituolacea

Family: Textulariidae

Subfamily: Textulariinae

Genus: Textularia


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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



Superorder: Diadematacea Duncan, 1889

Order: Diadematoida Duncan, 1889

Family: Diadematidae Gray, 1855

Genus: Diadema J. E. Gray, 1825


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Superorder: Diadematacea Duncan, 1889

Order: Diadematoida Duncan, 1889

Kingdom: Animalia


Subphylum: Pelmatozoa Bather, 1900

Class: Crinoidea Miller, 1821


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Kingdom: Animalia


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.

microfossils of pulau salakan, sabah

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