Shell Ontogeny

Abstract

Much of the knowledge about fossil and living planktonic foraminiferal species is based on adult growth stages as almost all of the current taxonomic systems are based on the morphology of the adult shell. Although there has been a persistent interest in the problem of deciphering the ontogenetic development of planktonic foraminiferal species beginning from the earliest studies (Rhumbler, 1911; Brönnimann, 1950; Parker, 1962; Banner and Blow, 1967), major progress has been made only recently. Considerable insights were generated into the internal shell morphology during ontogenesis through the comparative and well-illustrated paper by Huang (1981); by the analytical studies of Brummer et al. (1986, 1987).