pforams@mikrotax - Pulleniatina spectabilis pforams@mikrotax - Pulleniatina spectabilis

Pulleniatina spectabilis


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


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

Taxonomy

Citation: Pulleniatina spectabilis Parker 1965
Taxonomic rank: species
Basionym: Pulleniatina spectabilis
Synonyms:

Pulleniatina spectabilis Parker, 1965 (partim), p. 151–152, figs. 1–2 [Pliocene, Core LSDH 78P, central tropical Pacific Ocean], not figs. 3–4 (=Pulleniatina praespectabilis).—Banner & Blow, 1967, p. 143–144, pl. 2, fig. 2 [lower Pliocene Zone N19, Core Cap BP38, central tropical Pacific Ocean], figs. 3a–b (dissected specimen) [lower Pliocene Zone N19, Core LSDH 78P, central tropical Pacific Ocean].—Brönnimann & Resig, 1971, pl. 19, fig. 5 [Sample LSDH-78 P, 100–102 cm, central tropical Pacific Ocean], pl. 16, figs. 3, 5–9, 11 [Recent Zone N23, DSDP Site 62, Eauripik Rise, western equatorial Pacific Ocean].—Jenkins & Orr, 1972, pl. 39, figs. 11–13 [Pliocene S. dehiscens Zone, DSDP Site 77B, eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean].—Keigwin, 1976, pl. 1, fig. 11 [lower Pliocene, DSDP Site 158, Panama Basin, eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean].—Kennett & Srinivasan, 1983, p. 202, pl. 50, figs. 1–5 [lower Pliocene Zone N19, DSDP Site 504, Costa Rica Rift, eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean].—Bolli & Saunders, 1985, p. 250, fig. 40.1 (holotype, reproduced from Parker, 1965).—Chaisson & Leckie, 1993, p. 165, pl. 8, fig. 3 [Pliocene Zone N18– N19, DSDP Site 806, Ontong Java Plateau, western equatorial Pacific Ocean].—Pearson, 1995, p. 52, pl. 5, figs. 2–3 [Pliocene Zone N18, ODP Site 873, Wodejebato Guyot, western tropical Pacific Ocean].
Pulleniatina spectabilis spectabilis Parker, 1965.—Belford, 1988, pl. 3, figs. 10–13 [Dredge sample DR6A, Manus Basin, western tropical Pacific Ocean].
Pulleniatina obliqueloculata [sic] phenon spectabilis Parker.— Fordham, 1986, pl. 19, figs. 26a–27b [Pliocene S. dehiscens Zone, DSDP Site 77B, eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean].
Not Pulleniatina spectabilis Parker, 1965.—Keigwin, 1982, pl. 11, fig. 1 (5 P. praespectabilis).—Kennett & Srinivasan, 1983, p. 202 (partim), pl. 50, fig. 5 (reproduced without attribution from Keigwin, 1982; wrongly identified as from DSDP Site 504; labelled as “transitional from primalis to spectabilis” (=P. praespectabilis).

Taxonomic 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].

Catalog entries: Pulleniatina spectabilis

Type images:

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:
P. spectabilis intergrades with P. praespectabilis from which it is distinguished by having a more petaloid outline and at least one chamber with a pinched periphery; in typical specimens all chambers in the final whorl are pinched and the spiral side is relatively flat giving an anguloconical shape. [Pearson et al. 2025]

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]

Character matrix
test outline:Lobatechamber arrangement:Trochospiraledge view:Planoconvexaperture:Umbilical-extraumbilical
sp chamber shape:Crescenticcoiling axis:Lowperiphery:Single keelaperture border:N/A
umb chbr shape:Subtriangularumbilicus:Narrowperiph margin shape:Narrowly roundedaccessory apertures:None
spiral sutures:Flushumb depth:Shallowwall texture:Smoothshell porosity:Macroperforate: >2.5µm
umbilical or test sutures:Flushfinal-whorl chambers:5-6 N.B. These characters are used for advanced search. N/A - not applicable

Biogeography and Palaeobiology


Geographic distribution
Restricted to the tropical Pacific Ocean. [Pearson et al. 2025]

Isotope paleobiology
Stable isotope data indicate a similar ecology and depth habitat to other co-generic species (Boscolo-Galazzo et al., 2021). It was likely herbivorous and lived around the Deep Chlorophyll Maximum.[Pearson et al. 2025]

Phylogenetic relations
Descended from P. praespectabilis by gradual transition, later becoming extinct without descendants.

Most likely ancestor:
Pulleniatina praespectabilis - at confidence level 2 (out of 5). Data source: Pearson et al. 2023.

Biostratigraphic distribution

Geological Range:
Notes: The first occurrence of P. spectabilis is sensitive to the taxonomic criteria used to distinguish it from P. praespectabilis. Pearson et al. (2023) estimated it at 5.14+/-0.10 Ma based on Expedition 320/321 Scientists (2010b; see Table 2). The extinction of P. spectabilis occurred at 4.27+/-0.05 Ma (see Table 2).[Pearson et al. 2025]
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:

Primary source for this page: Pearson et al. 2025, p. 269. 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

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., 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

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

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

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Pulleniatina spectabilis compiled by the pforams@mikrotax project team viewed: 7-10-2026

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