pforams@mikrotax - Pulleniatina praespectabilis

pforams@mikrotax - Pulleniatina praespectabilis pforams@mikrotax - Pulleniatina praespectabilis

Pulleniatina praespectabilis

Classification: pf_cenozoic -> Globorotaliidae -> Pulleniatina -> Pulleniatina praespectabilis
Sister taxa: P. finalis, P. obliquiloculata, P. praecursor, P. primalis ⟩⟨ P. spectabilis, P. praespectabilis, P. sp.

K_S 1983 50-4.JPG

3D model from Fabbrini et al 2025, hosted on morphosource

Taxonomy

Citation: Pulleniatina praespectabilis Brönnimann & Resig 1971

Taxonomic rank: species

Basionym: Pulleniatina spectabilis praespectabilis

Synonyms:

Pulleniatina sp. ex. interc. primalis Banner & Blow and spectabilis Parker.—Banner & Blow, 1967, pl. 2, fig. 1 [upper Miocene Zone N18, Moenoek River section, west Irian, New Guinea].
Pulleniatina spectabilis praespectabilis Brönnimann & Resig, 1971, p. 1286–1287, pl. 19, figs. 4, 7 [Pliocene Zone N19– N20, DSDP Site 62, Eauripik Rise, western equatorial Pacific Ocean].—Belford, 1988, pl. 3, figs. 14–16 [Pliocene, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea].
Pulleniatina praespectabilis Brönnimann & Resig, 1971.— Fleisher, 1974, p. 1031, pl. 15, fig. 2 [lower Pliocene Zone N17, DSDP Site 219, Arabian Sea].—Bolli & Saunders, 1985, p. 250, fig. 40.1 (holotype, reproduced from Brönnimann & Resig, 1971).—Chaisson & Leckie, 1993, p. 165, pl. 8, fig. 2 [Pliocene Zone N18–N19, DSDP Site 806, Ontong Java Plateau, western equatorial Pacific Ocean].
Pulleniatina obliqueloculata [sic] phenon praespectabilis Brönnimann & Resig.—Fordham, 1986, pl. 19, figs. 22a– b, 31a–b [Pliocene S. dehiscens Zone, DSDP Site 77B, eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean].
Pulleniatina spectabilis Parker, 1965.—Parker, 1965, p. 151–152 (partim), figs. 3–4 [Pliocene, Core LSDH 78P, central tropical Pacific Ocean] (=Pulleniatina praespectabilis).—Keigwin, 1982, pl. 11, fig. 1 [lower Pliocene Sphaeroidinella dehiscens Zone, DSDP Site 503, eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean].— Kennett & Srinivasan, 1983, p. 202 (partim), pl. 50, fig. 5 (reproduced without attribution from Keigwin, 1982, pl. 11, fig. 1; wrongly identified as from DSDP Site 504; labelled as “transitional from primalis to spectabilis”). (Not Parker, 1965).
Pulleniatina obliqueloculata [sic] phenon praecursor Banner & Blow.—Fordham, 1986 (partim), pl. 19, fig. 18 [Pliocene S. dehiscens Zone, DSDP Site 77B, eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean] (not pl. 19, figs. 17a–c, 19a–21 5 P. praecursor). (Not Banner & Blow, 1967).

Taxonomic discussion: Banner & Blow (1967) illustrated a specimen that they regarded as intermediate between their species P. primalis and Parker’s P. spectabilis. In their investigation of DSDP Site 62 (Eauripik Rise, west Pacific Warm Pool), Brönnimann & Resig (1971) recorded further such specimens and named praespectabilis as the connecting form. The holotype was illustrated by them in one view in SEM. New SEM images in three views are given here (Figs. 10.1a–c). The holotype specimen is quite an ‘advanced’ form with a petaloid outline. Earlier P. praespectabilis have less acute margins and less petaloid outlines. Populations are sinistrally dominated throughout its range [Pearson et al., 2023].

Catalog entries: Pulleniatina spectabilis praespectabilis

Type images:

holotype: P. spectabilis praespectabilis

Distinguishing features:
Parent taxon (Pulleniatina): Compact streptospiral test with smooth cortical coating and large slit-like aperture
This taxon: Like P. primalis but slightly petaloid biconvex test, more triangular umbilical chamber shape and acute periphery.

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:

Pulleniatina praespectabilis intergrades with both P. primalis and P. spectabilis. It is distinguished from P. primalis by the slightly petaloid biconvex test, more triangular umbilical chamber shape and acute, periphery, especially of the last chamber. It is distinguished from P. spectabilis by being less anguloconical, less petaloid in outline and lacking the distinctly pinched rim of the last few chambers.

Emended description:

Nonspinose, porous and weakly cancellate wall, pustulose on the chamber shoulders around and within the aperture. Wall moderately thick, test covered in the terminal stage in a translucent non-porous cortex with a smooth reflective surface that is usually degraded by diagenesis to a dull glossy sheen. Test small to medium sized, biconvex with ventrally involute trochospiral coiling; outline slightly petaloid. Typically 4–5 chambers in final whorl, increasing moderately in size; earlier chambers globular, becoming wedge-shaped in umbilical view in last few adult chambers with an acute rounded periphery; chambers appressed and embracing, sutures gently curving, weakly depressed. Test lacks a true umbilicus because of the umbilically encroaching chambers. Aperture a broad sub-rectangular to slightly arched opening in an intra-extraumbilical position extending to the periphery in some specimens.[Pearson et al. 2025]

Character matrix
test outline: Lobate chamber arrangement: Trochospiral edge view: Planoconvex aperture: Umbilical-extraumbilical
sp chamber shape: Crescentic coiling axis: Low periphery: N/A 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 distribution

Mostly restricted to the tropical Pacific Ocean (e.g., Bolli & Saunders, 1985) but with rare occurrences in the Indian Ocean (this study) and Arabian Sea (Fleisher, 1974).[Pearson et al. 2025]

Isotope paleobiology

Ecogroup 3 - Open ocean thermocline; based on comparison with other species of the genus.[Aze et al. 2011]. No stable isotope data are available for this species.[Pearson et al. 2025]

Phylogenetic relations

Descended from P. primalis and gave rise to P. spectabilis. [Pearson et al. 2025]

Most likely ancestor:
Pulleniatina primalis - at confidence level 2 (out of 5). Data source: Kennett & Srinivasan 1983, fig 22 do not separate P. spectabilis praespectablis but record spectabilis as evolving from primalis. NB Aze et al. (2011) assign P. obliquiloculata as ancestor of P. praespectabilis but without explanation..
Likely descendants: Pulleniatina spectabilis; plot with descendants

Biostratigraphic distribution

Geological Range:
Last occurrence (top): within PL1 [Atl.] zone (4.37-5.72Ma, top in Zanclean stage). Data source: Aze et al. 2011
First occurrence (base): within PL1 [Atl.] zone (4.37-5.72Ma, base in Messinian stage). Data source: Aze 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
Taxon plotted: Pulleniatina praespectabilis, synonyms included - Pulleniatina praespectabilis;
See also space-time plot :: Samples map :: Parent: Pulleniatina

Primary source for this page: Pearson et al. 2025, p. 264. This taxon has been reviewed by the Neogene and Quaternary Planktonic Foraminifera Working Group.

References:

Aze, T., et al. (2011). A phylogeny of Cenozoic macroperforate planktonic foraminifera from fossil data. Biological Reviews. 86: 900-927. gs

Bolli, H. M. & Saunders, J. B. (1985). Oligocene to Holocene low latitude planktic foraminifera. In, Bolli, H. M., Saunders, J. B. & Perch-Neilsen, K. (eds) Plankton Stratigraphy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK 155-262. gs

Brönnimann, P. & Resig, J. (1971). A Neogene globigerinacean biochronologic time-scale of the southwestern Pacific. Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project. 7(2): 1235-1469. gs O

Kennett, J. P. & Srinivasan, M. S. (1983). Neogene Planktonic Foraminifera. Hutchinson Ross Publishing Co., Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. 1-265. gs

Pearson, P. N., Young, J. R., King, D. J. & Wade, B. S. (2023). Biochronology and evolution of Pulleniatina (planktonic foraminifera). Journal of Micropalaeontology. 42: 211-255. gs

Pearson, P. N., Fabbrini, A. & Wade, B. S. (2025). Systematic taxonomy of Pulleniatina. Journal of Foraminiferal Research. 55(3): 245-275. gs

Missing or ambiguous references: Fabbrini Pearson et al. 2025;

Pulleniatina praespectabilis compiled by the pforams@mikrotax project team viewed: 10-10-2026

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Short stable page link: https://mikrotax.org/pforams/index.php?id=104208 Go to Archive.is to create a permanent copy of this page - citation notes

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test outline:	Lobate	chamber arrangement:	Trochospiral	edge view:	Planoconvex	aperture:	Umbilical-extraumbilical
sp chamber shape:	Crescentic	coiling axis:	Low	periphery:	N/A	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