This is the nannfossil

1. Micropaleontology
Lecturer @ SNU: Abdirizak Geyre
CHAPTER 9
Somali National University

2. NannoFossils
(coccolithophore)

3. Nano fossils
❏ Nannofossil is the smallest member of the plankton (the
nannoplankton).
❏ Nannofossils are of plants (algea) and include various forms
(e.g. coccoliths, which are 5–60 μm in size).
❏ The term “nannoplankton” was termed by the German scientist
H. Lohmann in 1902

4. ❏ This is a diverse group of organisms, but the only
ones which are fossilized to any great extent are
calcareous nannofossil
❏ Calcareous nannofossils are a heterogeneous group
of marine living organisms and calcareous fossil
structures.
❏ Coccolithophore are most prominent in calcareous
nannofossil

5. What are Coccolithophore?
❏ Coccolithophores are one-celled plant-like
organisms that live in large numbers throughout
the upper layers of the ocean.
❏ Coccolithophores surround themselves with a
microscopic plating made of calcite

6. ❏ The test of the coccolithophores is know as a coccosphere and the
tiny calcareous plates constituting it are called coccoliths.

8. ❏ Their calcareous skeletons are found in marine
deposits often in vast numbers, sometimes making up
the major component of a particular rock, such as the
chalk of England.
❏ Coccolithophores live in the photic zone (the surface
waters, where sunlight reaches) and are
photosynthesising (autotrophic).

9. Morphology
Hard-part morphology is the main basis for classifying
living and fossil members of the group. Coccoliths are
divided into two principal groups:
➔ heterococcoliths
➔ holococcoliths.

10. Holococcoliths : which are formed from calcite crystals which
are essentially identical in shape and size.
Heterococcoliths : which are formed from larger calcite
crystals which vary in size and shape.

11. ❏ Most living coccolithophores are known to possess
the flagellar which help for locomotion
(movements)
❏ The coccolithophore cell contains a nucleus and
golden-brown chloroplasts which may be moved
around the cell to optimise collection of available
light.

12. ❏ The cell also contains mitochondria which contain
enzymes which produce the energy for cell
function, vacuoles which deal with waste products
and the Golgi body which is participate in the
secretion of cell wall material.

15. Classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Chromalveolata
Phylum: Haptophyta
Class: Prymnesiophyceae
Order: Coccolithales

16. Ecology
❏ The coccolithophorids mostly live in marine waters, with
some few occurring only freshwater species known
today.
❏ Their calcareous skeletons are found in marine deposits
often in vast numbers, sometimes making up the major
component of a particular rock, such as the chalk of
England

17. ❏ Their abundance is an indicator of warm surface
waters. Temperature is an important factor in the
growth of coccoliths
Left: chalk cliffs in southern England. Middle: High magnification image of chalk coccoliths. Right: An individual coccolith.

18. Nutrition
❏ Coccolithophores are mostly photoautotrophic.
❏ They manufacture organic materials for their
sustenance from water, CO2, nitrates and other
inorganic salts with photosynthesis of sunlight as the
source of energy.
❏ They are significant in being tolerant of low nutrient
conditions

19. Geological Record
❏ First recorded occurrences of calcareous
nannofossils (nannoliths) are from the late Triassic.
❏ The locations from which the earliest nannofossils
are found include; the Northern and Southern
Calcareous Alps

20. Applications
calcareous nannofossils are small, generally less than 30 microns
across and usually between 5 and 10 microns (individual coccoliths).
❏ Good preservation, their small size makes mechanical damage
unlikely.
❏ Widespread distribution, hence easy to use as biostratigraphy
application
❏ A very large number of individual coccoliths may be preserved in
a tiny amount of sediment. Hence only very small quantities of
sample are needed to produce statistically valid results.