Fossils in thin section

Foraminifera in thin section

Single-celled protists that build a test (shell), many of them calcareous with internal chambers. Tests are multi-chambered and mostly under 1 mm, with chambers arranged in a series or coiled. Wall structure is key to identification but is often obscured in Paleozoic forms. Common fossil groups include textulariids, fusulinids, miliolids, rotaliids and globigerinids.

Age: Cambrian to present; mostly marine.

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All fossil groups Carbonate classification