The polycystines are a group of
radiolarian
The Radiolaria, also called Radiozoa, are protozoa of diameter 0.1–0.2 mm that produce intricate mineral skeletons, typically with a central capsule dividing the cell into the inner and outer portions of endoplasm and ectoplasm. The elab ...
s. They include the vast majority of the
fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
radiolaria, as their skeletons are abundant in marine sediments, making them one of the most common groups of microfossils. These skeletons are composed of
opal
Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline form ...
ine silica. In some it takes the form of relatively simple spicules, but in others it forms more elaborate lattices, such as concentric spheres with radial spines or sequences of conical chambers. Two of the orders belonging to this group are the radially-symmetrical
Spumellaria
Spumellaria is an order of radiolarians in the class Polycystinea. They are ameboid protists appearing in abundance in the world's oceans, possessing a radially-symmetrical silica (opal) skeleton that has ensured their preservation in fossil rec ...
, dating back to the late
Cambrian period, and the bilaterally-symmetrical Nasselaria, whose origin is placed within the lower
Devonian.
Mendez Sandin. Diversity and Evolution of Nassellaria and Spumellaria (Radiolaria). Protistology. Sorbonne Université, 2019. English. Accessed at: https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-03137926/file/MENDEZ_SANDIN_Miguel_2019.pdf on 2022-10-18
References
External links
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Radiolaria.org
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Polycystines,
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