Braarudosphaera bigelowii

Braarudosphaera bigelowii is a coastal coccolithophore in the fossil record going back 100 million years. The family Braarudosphaeraceae are single-celled coastal phytoplanktonic algae with calcareous scales with five-fold symmetry, called pentaliths. With 12 sides, it has a dodecahedral structure, approximately 10 micrometers across.[1]

(A) SEM image of a cell of B. bigelowii surrounded by 12 pentaliths. A pentalith (calcareous scale of the Braarudosphaeraceae) indicated by the blue open pentagon consists of five trapezoidal segments. Black arrow indicates "side length of the pentalith" where the measurements were conducted. (B) SEM image of pentalith of B. bigelowii (proximal side). (C) Close up of proximal side in previous image showing laminar structure. (D) – (F) light microscope images of three different specimens.[1]

Braarudosphaera bigelowii
Temporal range: Late Triassic–present
Scientific classification
Domain:
(unranked):
Class:
Order:
Coccosphaerales
Family:
Braarudosphaeraceae
Genus:
Braarudosphaera
Species:
B. bigelowii
Binomial name
Braarudosphaera bigelowii
(Gran & Braarud) Deflandre

References

  1. Hagino, K., Onuma, R., Kawachi, M. and Horiguchi, T. (2013) "Discovery of an endosymbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium UCYN-A in Braarudosphaera bigelowii (Prymnesiophyceae)". PLoS One, 8(12): e81749. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0081749.


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