Distinguishing features: Parent taxon (Globigerinoidesella): Supplementary apertures, cancellate wall & elongate extensions to final chamber. This taxon: Final chambers compressed and radially elongate with multiple slender digitate extensions.
NB These concise distinguishing features statements are used in the tables of daughter-taxa to act as quick summaries of the differences between e.g. species of one genus. They are being edited as the site is developed and comments on them are especially welcome.
Description
Diagnostic characters: Trochospiral, final chambers compressed and radially elongate with multiple slender digitate extensions
Aperture: Primary aperture interiomarginal umbilical wide arch with rim. Supplementary sutural apertures on spiral side [Aze 2011, based on Kennett & Srinivasan 1983]
Morphology: Test large, trochospiral, three to four chambers in the final whorl; chambers spherical initially, later becoming compressed and radially elongate with multiple, slender, digitate extensions; sutures distinct,depressed; surface densely perforate; primary aperture interiomarginal, umbilical, a wide arch with a rim; supplementary apertures over sutures of earlier chambers. [Kennett & Srinivasan 1983]
Globigerinoidesella fistulosa is distinguished from the ancestral Trilobatus sacculifer plexus (T. sacculifer, T. quadrilobatus, T. immaturus and T. trilobus) by the presence of one or more elongate protuberances on the final chamber or chambers and its generally larger test size. It is differentiated from other digitate species by its strictly sacculifer-type wall texture and by usually possessing numerous protuberances on individual chambers, rather than just one protuberance per chamber or an elongated chamber. [Poole & Wade 2019] Wall type:
Poole & Wade 2019 f14 B-C.jpg
Poole & Wade 2019 f14 D-E.jpg
Poole & Wade 2019 f14 F-G.jpg
Spinose; Cancellate [Aze 2011]
Character matrix
test outline:
Lobate
chamber arrangement:
Trochospiral
edge view:
Equally biconvex
aperture:
Umbilical
sp chamber shape:
Globular
coiling axis:
Low-moderate
periphery:
N/A
aperture border:
Thin lip
umb chbr shape:
Globular
umbilicus:
Wide
periph margin shape:
Narrowly rounded
accessory apertures:
Sutural
spiral sutures:
Strongly depressed
umb depth:
Shallow
wall texture:
Cancellate
shell porosity:
Macroperforate: >2.5µm
umbilical or test sutures:
Strongly depressed
final-whorl chambers:
3-4
N.B. These characters are used for advanced search. N/A - not applicable
Biogeography and Palaeobiology
Geographic distributionTropical to warm subtropical. [Kennett & Srinivasan 1983] Low latitudes [Aze et al. 2011, based on Kennett & Srinivasan (1983)]
[SCOR WG138]
Isotope paleobiologyAze et al. 2011 ecogroup 1 - Open ocean mixed-layer tropical/subtropical, with symbionts. Based on very heavy δ13C and relatively light δ18O. Sources cited by Aze et al. 2011 (appendix S3): Keller (1985); Pearson & Shackleton (1995) Phylogenetic relationsThis species evolved from Gs. sacculifer by developing multiple digitate extensions on the last few chambers in the final whorl. [Kennett & Srinivasan 1983]
Most likely ancestor: Trilobatus sacculifer - at confidence level 4 (out of 5). Data source: Kennett & Srinivasan 1983; Spezzaferri et al. 2015.
Biostratigraphic distribution
Geological Range: Last occurrence (top): at top of PL6 [Atl.] zone (100% up, 1.9Ma, in Gelasian stage). Data source: Wade et al. (2011), zonal marker First occurrence (base): in upper part of PL5 [Atl.] zone (71% up, 2.6Ma, in Piacenzian stage). Data source: Wade et al. (2011), additional event; position within zone determined by linear interpolation from data in table 1 of Wade et al. (2011).
Plot of occurrence data:
Range-bar - range as quoted above, pink interval top occurs in, green interval base occurs in.
Triangles indicate an event for which a precise placement has been suggested.
Grey shading between taxa indicates intergrading species within an anagenetic lineage (data from
Lamyman et al. 2026).
Histogram - Neptune occurrence data from DSDP and ODP proceedings. Pale shading <50 samples in time bin. Interpret with caution & read these notes
Primary source for this page: Kennett & Srinivasan 1983, p.68
References:
Aze, T., et al. (2011). A phylogeny of Cenozoic macroperforate planktonic foraminifera from fossil data. Biological Reviews. 86: 900-927. gs
Keller, G. (1985). Depth stratification of planktonic foraminifers in the Miocene Ocean. In, Kennett, J. P. (ed.) The Miocene Ocean: Paleoceanography and Biogeography. GSA Memoir . 163: 1-337. gs
Kennett, J. P. & Srinivasan, M. S. (1983). Neogene Planktonic Foraminifera. Hutchinson Ross Publishing Co., Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. 1-265. gs
Norris, R. D. (1998). Planktonic foraminifer biostratigraphy: Eastern Equatorial Atlantic. Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results. 159: 445-479. gsO
Pearson, P. N. & Shackleton, N. J. (1995). Neogene multispecies planktonic foraminifer stable isotope record, Site 871, Limalok Guyot. Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results. 144: 401-410. gs
Poole, C. R. & Wade, B. S. (2019). Systematic taxonomy of the Trilobatus sacculifer plexus and descendant Globigerinoidesella fistulosa (planktonic foraminifera). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 1-42. gs
Postuma, J. A. (1971). Manual of planktonic foraminifera. Elsevier for Shell Group, The Hague. 1-406. gs
Schubert, R. J. (1910). Uber Foraminiferen und einen Fischotolithen aus dem fossilen Globigerinenschlamm von Neu-Guinea. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Geologischen Reichsanstalt. 14: 318-328. gs
Globigerinoidesella fistulosa compiled by the pforams@mikrotax project teamviewed: 15-9-2026