Foraminifera
Foraminifera are single-celled marine organisms with internal
shells commonly referred to as “tests”. The shells are commonly divided
into chambers that are added during growth. Forams are found in a
bewildering array of shapes and sizes. There are some 4,000 known
species with a geological range from the earliest Cambrian to the
present day. The following images are from the Vincentown formation
(Paleocene) in New Jersey and are presently unidentified.
The
maximum size of most foraminiferan species is less than 1 mm. Some
species
grow larger, up to 10 centimeters in length.
Vincentown Formation
Foraminifera
Vincentown Formation
Burlington County, NJ
The tests are commonly divided into chambers that are added during
growth.
Chambers aligned in a row.
I
Foraminifera
Vincentown Formation
Burlington County, NJ
One of the larger species at 2 cm or about 3/4 of an inch.
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