Foraminifera
Fossil
Also called Foram and Forams
About it
Single-celled protists with chambered shells, mostly under a millimetre, that build up much of chalk and many limestones. Studied under a microscope to date rocks and find oil; big ones like nummulites show without a lens.
- Type
- Fossil (microfossil)
- Group
- Foraminifera (protist)
- Colours
- white, cream, tan, grey
- Transparency
- opaque
- Periods
- Carboniferous, Permian, Cretaceous, Paleogene, Neogene, Quaternary
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.