The earliest known reference to foraminifera comes from Herodotus, who in the 5th century BCE noted them as making up the rock … See more

The most striking aspect of most foraminifera are their hard shells, or tests. These may consist of one of multiple chambers, and may be composed of protein, sediment … See more

The generalized foraminiferal life-cycle involves an alternation between haploid and diploid generations, although they are mostly similar in … See more

Molecular clocks indicate that the crown-group of foraminifera likely evolved during the Neoproterozoic, between 900 and 650 million years ago; this timing is consistent with … See more

The taxonomic position of the Foraminifera has varied since Schultze in 1854, who referred to as an order, Foraminiferida. Loeblich (1987) … See more

Modern Foraminifera are primarily marine organisms, but living individuals have been found in brackish, freshwater and even terrestrial … See more

Foraminiferal tests serve to protect the organism within. Owing to their generally hard and durable construction (compared to other protists), the tests of foraminifera are a major source of scientific knowledge about the group.
Openings in the … See more