Science Heritage Journal (GWS) 8(2) (2024) 65-68

Science Heritage Journal (GWS)

DOI: http://doi.org/10.26480/gws.02.2024.65.68

ISSN: 2521-0858 (Print)

ISSN: 2521-0866 (Online)
CODEN: SHJCAS

RESEARCH ARTICLE
THE EVOLUTIONARY LINEAGES OF THE MAASTRICHTIAN PLANKTIC
FORAMINIFERA GENUS Plummerita IN THE TETHYS
Haidar Salim Anan
Stratigraphy and paleontology, Former Vice President of Al-Azhar University-Gaza, Palestine.
*Corresponding Author Email: profanan@gmail.com
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

ARTICLE DETAILS ABSTRACT

Article History: Five phylogenetic lineages were observed by present author in the eleven Tethyan Maastrichtian planktic
foraminiferal species of the genus Plummerita. These lineages help to define the major faunal changes from
Received 20 December 2023 the species throughout of three groups of the Plummerita. The first group (P. haggagae group) belongs to the
Revised 15 January 2024 four-chambered volition (4-ch) with axially pointed spine-like prolongation evolved to another species of
Accepted 08 February 2024
Available online 12 February 2024 five-chambered volition (5-ch) (P. hantkeninoides group), to another species of six-chambered volition (6-ch)
(P. reicheli group). The five lineages are: (1) The Plummerita elkefensis (4-ch) to P. hantkeninoides (5-ch), (2)
P. haggagae (4-ch) to P. costata (5-ch) to P. spainica (6-ch), (3) P. inflata (5-ch) to P. tunisica (6-ch) (4) P.
kellerae (5-ch) to P. caribbeanica (6-ch), (5) P. premolisilvae (5-ch) to P. reicheli (6-ch). Unfortunately, most
of these lineage are uncompleted from four to five to six-chamber volution, while only one of them is
completed (no. 2). In spite of this uncompleted lineages situation, it seems that we must await further study
to complete these lineages by another unknown taxa.
KEYWORDS
Lineages, Planktic foraminifera, Plummerita, Maastrichtian, Tethys

1. INTRODUCTION includes six species: P. costata, P. hantkeninoides, P. hodae, P. inflata, P.

kellerae, P. premolisilvae. The third group with six-chambered volition,
The Maastrichtian planktic foraminiferal genus Plummerita with its eleven includes four species: P. caribbeanica, P. reicheli, P. spainica and P. tunisica.
species have three groups, according to its number chambers of the last Five proposed lineages between the species in these three groups of the
whorl: Plummerita haggagae group, P. hantkeninoides group and P. reicheli genus Plummerita. This assemblage is distributed in many countries in the
group. The first one is of the four-chambered volition with axially pointed Tethys (Figure 1).
spine-like prolongation, which includes, so far, two species: P. haggagae
and P. elkefensis. The second group is of the five-chambered volition,

Figure 1: The Maastrichtian paleogeographic map showing the connected seas from west Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean) to east Atlantic (Spain, Italy) via the
Mediterranean Sea (Tunisia, Egypt), as well as Iraq and Iran (Solakius et al., 1990).

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Cite The Article: Haidar Salim Anan (2024). The Evolutionary Lineages of The Maastrichtian Planktic
Foraminifera Genus Plummerita in The Tethys. Science Heritage Journal, 8(2): 65-68.
 Science Heritage Journal (GWS) 8(2) (2024) 65-68

Table 1. Fig. 1a. Plummerita elkefensis, 1b. P. hantkeninoides; 2a. P. haggagae, 2b. P. costata; 2c. P. spainica; 3b. P. inflata, 3c. P. tunisica; 4b. P. spainica, 4c.
P. caribbeanica; 5b. P. premolisilvae, 5c. P. reicheli (scale bar= 100µm). The empty boxes are the specimens not identified until now.

Table 1: showing the different trends of the Maastrichtian Plummerita members.

2. SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY I. Plummerita haggagae group: includes, so far, two species: P. elkefensis
and P. haggagae.
The diagnostic Maastrichtian planktonic foraminiferal species of the genus
Plummerita have spine-like prolongation of ultimate and penultimate I .1. Plummerita elkefensis Anan & Orabi, 2022, p. 183, figure 4. D, E) (Plate
chambers of the last whorl. These assemblage includes three main groups 1, figure 1a) (=Plummerita hantkeninoides (Brönnimann). Samir, 2002 p.
according to the number chambers of the last whorl: four-chamber 24, pl. 1, fig. 5; Plummerita hantkeninoides (Brönnimann) - Keller, 2005,
volution (P. haggagae group), five-chamber volution (P. hantkeninoides 17 p. 741, pl. 16.4)
group) and six-chamber volution (P. reicheli group) (Plate 1). The
taxonomy followed here is that of (Loeblich and Tappan, 1988). Remarks: It is distinguished by its radially elongated chambers with
axially spine-like prolongation in linear pattern rugose surface in all four
Order Foraminiferida Eichwald, 1830 chambers in the last whorl with low trochoidal volution. It was recorded,
so far, from Egypt and Tunisia.
Suborder Globigerinina Delage & Hérouard, 1896
I.2. Plummerita haggagae Anan, 2008, p. 249, pl. 1, figs. 2, 3 (Plate 1, figure
Superfamily Globotruncanacea Brotzen, 1942 2a) (=Plummerita hantkeninoides (Brönnimann) - Ziko et al,1993, p. 143,
fig. 4. 10, 11; Keller, 2003, p. 81, fig. 8 (non figs. 9, 10), Galal,2004, p. 246,
Family Rugoglobigerinidae Subbotina, 1959 fig. 7.4; Obaidalla et al, 2017, p. 67, fig. 18.K (non J); Bamerni et al., 2021,
p. 8, pl. 1, figs. 5-8).
Genus Plummerita Brönnimann, 1952
Remarks: It differs from P. elkefensis by its three spine-like prolongation
Type species: Rugoglobigerina (Plummerella) hantkeninoides of the last fourth inflated chamber, but without spine-like prolongation of
hantkeninoides Brönnimann, 1952

Cite The Article: Haidar Salim Anan (2024). The Evolutionary Lineages of The Maastrichtian Planktic
Foraminifera Genus Plummerita in The Tethys. Science Heritage Journal, 8(2): 65-68.
 Science Heritage Journal (GWS) 8(2) (2024) 65-68

the last fourth inflated chamber. It was recorded, so far, from Egypt and II.8. Plummerita premolisilvae Anan & Orabi, 2022, p. 183, Figure 4. C
Iraq. (=Plummerita hantkeninoides (Brönnimann) - Coccioni & Premoli Silva,
2015, p. 59, pl. 3, fig. 15 (non figs. 12-14, 16). (Plate 1, figure 5b).
II. The second Plummerita hantkeninoides group includes, so far, six
species: P. costata, P. hantkeninoides, P. hodae, P. inflata, P. kellerae, P. Remarks: This species has closely related to P. inflata and P. kellerae, but
premolisilvae. differs from it by its only first two radially elongate chambers with axially
spine-like prolongation, while the last third, fourth and fifth last chambers
II. 3. Plummerita costata (Brönnimann, 1952) (Plate 1, figure 2a) are inflated without spines. It was recorded, so far, from Italy.
(=Rugoglobigerina (Plummerella) hantkeninoides costata Brönnimann,
1952, p. 40, pl. 3, figs. 4-6, text-fig. 18a-c.; Plummerita costata III. The third Plummerita reicheli group includes for species: Plummerita
(Brönnimann) – Anan, 2012, p. 594, pl. 1, fig. 2). caribbeanica, P.

Remarks: P. costata is distinguished by its five-chambered volition, with reicheli, P. spainica and P. tunisica.
axially pointed spine-like prolongation for the four penultimate chambers,
but without spine-like prolongation of the last inflated chamber. It was III.9. Plummerita caribbeanica Anan, 2023, p. 26, pl. 1, fig. 5
recorded from Trinidad, Italy, Egypt and Iran. (=Rugoglobigerina cf. reicheli or Plummerita cf. hantkeninoides-
Robaszynski et al., 1983/4, p. 187, p. 286, pl. 50, fig. 6) (Plate 1, figure 4c).
II. 4. Plummerita hantkeninoides (Brönnimann, 1952) (Plate 1, figure 1b)
(=Rugoglobigerina (Plummerella) h. hantkeninoides Brönnimann, 1952, Remarks: It is characterized by a tubulospine first three chambers of the
p. 37, pl. 3, figs. 1-3, text-fig.1a-k; Plummerita hantkeninoides six-chamber volution of the last whorl. This new was recorded from
(Brönnimann) - Arz et al, 2001, p. 224, pl.1, fig. 7). Puerto Rico, Caribbean region.

Remarks: .It is characterized by the last five-chambered volition, radially III.10. Plummerita reicheli (Brönnimann, 1952) (=Rugoglobigerina r.
elongated with axially spine-like prolongation of linear pattern rugose reicheli Brönnimann, 1952, p. 168, pl. 3 (3), figs. 10-12) (Plate 1, figure 5c).
surface for all the five chambers in the last whorl. It was recorded from
Trinidad, Mexico, Italy, Tunisia and Egypt. Remarks: This species has closely resembles the chamber's arrangement
of the last whorl of P. premolisilvae (Pl. 1, fig. 8), but with six-chamber
II.5. Plummerita hodae Anan, 2022, p. 183, Fig. 4A (=Plummerita inflata volution instead of five-chamber only. It was recorded from Trinidad,
(Brönnimann). Anan, 2012, p. 594, pl. 1, fig. 3). Egypt and Iraq.

Remarks: It is closely related to P. inflata (pl. 1, figure 6), but differs by the III.11. Plummerita spainica Anan, 2023, p. 25, pl. 1, fig. 7 (=Plummerita
position of its larger fourth chamber than the last fifth chamber, and its hantkeninoides (Brönnimann) - Gilabert et al., 2021, p. 6, fig. 3L) (Plate 1,
third chamber exists perpendicular along the vertical line to the last fifth figure 2c).
chamber in the final whorl of the test. Unfortunately, no four-chamber or
six-chamber volution specimens, so far, were recorded for it to complete Remarks: This species has closely related to P. costata (Brönnimann), but
the lineage including this species. It was, so far, confined to Egypt. differs by its six-chamber volution than five-chamber volution of the latter.
It most probably developed from P. costata (Plate 1, figure 3). P. spainica,
II.6. Plummerita inflata (Brönnimann, 1952) (=Rugoglobigerina so far, was confined to Spain.
(Plummerella) hantkeninoides inflata Brönnimann, 1952, p. 40, pl. 3, figs.
7-9, text-fig. 19a-m; Plummerita sp. Kassab,1975, p. 350, pl. 2, fig. 5; III.12. Plummerita tunisica Anan, 2023, p. 25, pl. 1, fig. 3 (=Plummerita
Plummerita inflata (Brönnimann). Anan, 2012, p. 594, pl. 1, fig. 3) (Plate 1, hantkeninoides (Brönnimann) - Keller, 2012, p. 26, figure. 4.2, non figs.
figure 3b). 4.1,3) (Plate 1, figure 3c).

Remarks: It is characterized by axially pointed spine-like prolongations of Remarks: This species has closely related to P. inflata (Brönnimann) but
the first three chambers, but strongly inflated shapes without spines for differs from it by its last six-chamber in the final whorl, and most probably
the last two chambers in the last whorl. It was recorded from Trinidad, developed from it (Plate 1, fig. 6). It is, so far, confined to Tunisia.
Iraq and Egypt.
Plate 1
II.7. Plummerita kellerae Anan & Orabi, 2022, p. 183, Figure 4. B
Fig. 1a. Plummerita elkefensis Anan & Orabi, 2022; 1b. P. hantkeninoides
(=Plummerita hantkeninoides Keller et al, 2003, p. 279, pl. 2, fig. 14) (Plate
(Brönnimann, 1952); 2a. P. haggagae Anan, 2008; 2b. P. costata
1, figure 4b).
(Brönnimann, 1952); 2c. P. spainica Anan, 2023; 3b. P. inflata
Remarks: It differs from P. inflata and P. hodae by its first three radially (Brönnimann, 1952); 3c. P. tunisica Anan, 2023; 4b. P. kellerae Anan &
elongate chambers with axially spine-like prolongation, while the last Orabi, 2022; 4c. P. caribbeanica Anan, 2023; 5b. P. premolisilvae Anan &
penultimate and ultimate chambers are inflated without spines. It was Orabi, 2022; 5c. P. reicheli (Brönnimann, 1952).
recorded from Egypt.

Cite The Article: Haidar Salim Anan (2024). The Evolutionary Lineages of The Maastrichtian Planktic
Foraminifera Genus Plummerita in The Tethys. Science Heritage Journal, 8(2): 65-68.
 Science Heritage Journal (GWS) 8(2) (2024) 65-68

3. PALEOGEOGRAPHY Anan, H.S., Orabi, O.H., 2022. Four and five-chambered evolution of the
Late Maastrichtian planktic foraminiferal Plummerita species in the
All the identified species of Brönnimann (1952): Plummerita Tethys. Journal of Microbiology and Experimentation, 10 (5), Pp. 181-
hantkeninoides, P. costata, P. inflata and P. reicheli were originally 187
identified from Trinidad, and some of them are also recorded from other
countries, e.g. Mexico, Italy, Tunisia, Egypt, Iraq and Iran. Other identified Arz, J.A., Alegret, L., Arenillas, I., 2001. Foraminiferal extinction across the
species of Plummerita were recoded from Caribbean (P. caribbeanica), Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary at Coxquihui (Mexico) and its
Spain (P. spainica), Italy (P. premolisilvae), Tunisia (P. elkefensis and P. relationship with the impact evidence. Revista Española de
tunisica), Egypt (P. elkefensis, P. haggagae, P. hodae and P. kellerae), and Micropaléontologie. 33(2) Pp. 221–236.
Iraq (P. haggagae)(Figure 2).
Bamerni, A., Al-Qayim, B., Hammoudi, R.A., 2021. High-resolution
biostratigraphic analysis of the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary in the
Kurdistan Region (NW Iraq). Stratigraphy, 18(4), Pp. 1–18.

Brönnimann, P., 1952. Plummerita new name for Plummerella

Brönnimann, 1952 (not Plummerella De Long, 1942). Cushman
Foundation for Foraminiferal Research, 3, Pp. 1–146.

Coccioni, R., Premoli Silva, I., 2015. Revised Upper Albian–Maastrichtian

planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and magnetostratigraphy of
the classical Tethyan Gubbio section (Italy). Newsletters on
Stratigraphy, 48(1), Pp. 47–90.

Frerichs, W.E., 1971. Evolution of planktonic foraminifera and

paleotemperatures. Journal of Paleontology, 45(6), Pp. 963–968.

Galal, G., 2004. Graphic correlation for the cretaceous/tertiary boundary

of the Abu Zenima section, west central Sinai, Egypt. Revue de
Paléobiologie, 23(1), Pp. 239–262.

Kassab, I.I.M., 1975. Globotruncana falsocalcarata Kerdany and

Abdelsalam from northern Iraq. Micropaleontology, 21(3), Pp. 215–
238.

Keller, G., 2003. Guembelitria-dominated late Maastrichtian planktic

foraminiferal assemblages mimic early Danian in central Egypt.
Marine Micropaleontology, 47(1–2), Pp. 71–99.
Figure 2: The Maastrichtian paleogeographic map of the Northern
Tethys (Spain and Italy) and Southern Tethys (Tunisia, Egypt, Iraq and Keller, G., 2005. Biotic effects of late Maastrichtian mantle plume
Iran) (Keller, 2005). volcanism: implications for impacts and mass extinctions. Lithos, 79,
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4. PALEOENVIRONMENT
Keller, G., 2012. Defining the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary: a practical
According to many authors the planktonic foraminiferal Plummerita spp. guide and return to first principles. The End-Cretaceous Mass
are mostly representing a warm stratigraphic interval water environment Extinction and the Chicxulub Impact in Texas, SEPM Special
which have radiations of its tests, and deep marine, outer shelf-upper Publication No. 100, Copyright 2011, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary
bathyal environment, 200-400 m, and represents the Latest Maastrichtian Geology), Print ISBN 978-1-56576-308-1, CD/DVD ISBN 978-1-
Warming Event (LMWE) (Frerichs, 1971; Abramovich and Keller, 2002; 56576-309-8, Pp. 23–42.
Keller, 2003; Gilabert et al., 2021). An abrupt global warming of 3-4oC
occurred near the end of the Maastrichtian at 65.45-65.10 Ma. During the Loeblich, A.R., Tappan, H., 1988. Foraminiferal genera and their
warm event, the relative abundance of a large number of species classification. Van Nostrand Reinhold (VNR), New York, Part 1, Pp. 1-
decreased, including tropical-subtropical affiliated species, whereas 970, part 2, Pp. 1–847.
typical mid-latitude species retained high abundances.
Obaidalla, N., El-Younsy, A., Philobbos, E., 2017. Impact of the
African/Arabian and Eurasian plates collision on the evolution of the
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS upper cretaceous-lower Paleogene sedimentary basin, Eastern Desert,
Egypt. International Journal of Ecological Science and Environmental
The author is greatly indebted to the editor and other colleagues in the
Engineering, 4(5), Pp. 51–71.
SWG. Thanks are presented to my daughter Dr. Huda Anan for the
development of the figures, table and plate. Robaszynski, F., Gonzalez Donoso, J.M., Linaris, D., 2000. The Upper
Cretaceous of the Kalaat Senan region, central Tunisia. Integrated
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Cite The Article: Haidar Salim Anan (2024). The Evolutionary Lineages of The Maastrichtian Planktic
Foraminifera Genus Plummerita in The Tethys. Science Heritage Journal, 8(2): 65-68.