Citation: Pulleniatina spectabilis Parker 1965Taxonomic rank: speciesBasionym: Pulleniatina spectabilisTaxonomic discussion: Pulleniatina spectabilis is a very distinctive species (the name means ‘showy’ or ‘remarkable’) with an almost globorotaliiform morphology. Parker’s original broad concept was divided when Brönnimann & Resig (1971) named praespectabilis for forms that are morphologically intermediate to the ancestral form, P. primalis. [Pearson et al. 2025]
Distinguishing features: Parent taxon (Pulleniatina): Compact streptospiral test with smooth cortical coating and large slit-like aperture This taxon: Like P. praespectabilis but pseudocarina (pinched periphery) on final whorl, dorsal surface flatter, petaloid outline and anguloconical shape.
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: Planoconvex, low to medium trochospiral, later becoming streptospiral, with pseudocarinate periphery Aperture: Extraumbilical medium to low arch without lip or rim [Aze 2011, based on Kennett & Srinivasan 1983] Emended description: Nonspinose, porous, thin, and weakly cancellate wall, pustolose on the chamber shoulders around and within the aperture. In the terminal stage, test covered in a translucent non-porous cortex with a smooth reflective surface that is usually degraded by diagenesis to a dull glossy sheen. Test medium sized, lenticular to anguloconical, with a petaloid peripheral outline and ventrally involute trochospiral coiling; 5 chambers in final whorl, increasing moderately in size. Chambers wedge-shaped with a distinctly pinched but unkeeled periphery; pinching disjunct between chambers. Chambers closely appressed and embracing, sutures gently curving to sigmoidal, weakly depressed. Umbilicus narrow or obscured by the involute, successively encroaching chambers. Aperture a broad sub-rectangular to slightly arched opening, sometimes irregular, in an intraextraumbilical position extending to the periphery in some specimens. [Pearson et al. 2025] Morphology: Test planoconvex except for the slightly protruding initial coil; low to medium trochospiral, later becoming streptospiral; equatorial periphery lobulate, axial periphery subacute to angled, producing pseudocarinate periphery; chambers 5 to 6 in the final whorl; sutures flush on umbilical side, on spiral side slightly curved, nearly flush; surface smooth, polished, granular on early chambers directly facing the aperture; aperture a medium to low arch, extraumbilical, without a lip or rim. [Kennett & Srinivasan 1983] Wall type: Non-spinose; Smooth [Aze 2011]
Character matrix
test outline:
Lobate
chamber arrangement:
Trochospiral
edge view:
Planoconvex
aperture:
Umbilical-extraumbilical
sp chamber shape:
Crescentic
coiling axis:
Low
periphery:
Single keel
aperture border:
N/A
umb chbr shape:
Subtriangular
umbilicus:
Narrow
periph margin shape:
Narrowly rounded
accessory apertures:
None
spiral sutures:
Flush
umb depth:
Shallow
wall texture:
Smooth
shell porosity:
Macroperforate: >2.5µm
umbilical or test sutures:
Flush
final-whorl chambers:
5-6
N.B. These characters are used for advanced search. N/A - not applicable
Biogeography and Palaeobiology
Geographic distributionTropical, confined to Pacific. [Kennett & Srinivasan 1983] Low latitudes [Aze et al. 2011, based on Kennett & Srinivasan (1983)]
[SCOR WG138]
Isotope paleobiologyAze et al. 2011 ecogroup 3 - Open ocean thermocline. Based on comparison with other species of the genus Phylogenetic relationsPu. spectabilis is distinguished from other species of Pulleniatina by its almost planoconvex test and broad pseudocarina. This short-ranging and geographically restricted species evolved from Pu. primalis in the latest Miocene by developing pseudocarinate periphery and planoconvex test. [Kennett & Srinivasan 1983]
Most likely ancestor: Pulleniatina praespectabilis - at confidence level 2 (out of 5). Data source: Aze et al., 2011, Bronnimann & Resig 1971 (NB Kennett & Srinivasan 1983 did not differentiate praespecatbilis).
Biostratigraphic distribution
Geological Range: Last occurrence (top): in lower part of PL2 zone (31% up, 4.2Ma, in Zanclean 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). First occurrence (base): within N18 zone (5.20-5.72Ma, base in Messinian stage). Data source: Kennett & Srinivasan 1983
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
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.202
References:
Aze, T., et al. (2011). A phylogeny of Cenozoic macroperforate planktonic foraminifera from fossil data. Biological Reviews. 86: 900-927. gs
Kennett, J. P. & Srinivasan, M. S. (1983). Neogene Planktonic Foraminifera. Hutchinson Ross Publishing Co., Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. 1-265. gs
Parker, F. L. (1965a). A new planktonic species (foraminiferida) from the Pliocene of Pacific deep-sea cores. Contributions from the Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research. 16(4): 151-152. gs
Pearson, P. N., Fabbrini, A. & Wade, B. S. (2025). Systematic taxonomy of Pulleniatina. Journal of Foraminiferal Research. 55(3): 245-275. gs
Wade, B. S., Pearson, P. N., Berggren, W. A. & Pälike, H. (2011). Review and revision of Cenozoic tropical planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and calibration to the geomagnetic polarity and astronomical time scale. Earth-Science Reviews. 104: 111-142. gs
Pulleniatina spectabilis compiled by the pforams@mikrotax project teamviewed: 20-4-2026
K_S 1983 50-1.JPG
K_S 1983 50-1.JPG
holotype: P. spectabilis_USNM 642379_holo.jpg)
holotype: P. spectabilis
paratype: P. spectabilis
paratype: P. spectabilis
paratype: P. spectabilis
