Homeomorphy in the development of some benthic foraminiferal species

Abstract EN

Homeomorphy is the ability of an organism to simulates an unrelated organism in form and function.

In biology the homeomorphy is the evolution of similar external forms from very distant ancestors, happening as a result of convergent evolution.

In paleontology this phenomenon means the existence of two or more fossil taxa that appear to have similar morphology, although they are unrelated.

They might occur in rather different stratigraphic levels, and the test consists of a number of chambers that arrange in numerous shapes and sizes.

Many examples are known involving planktonic foraminifera, but only some cases of benthic foraminiferal homeomorphy is known in the fossil record.

The present study proposes four benthic foraminiferal homeomorphy.

(1) the Paleocene Bathysiphon paleocenica El-Dawy and the middle-late Eocene B.

saidi (Anan), (2) the Paleocene Annulofrondicularia nakkadyi (Futyan) and the late Eocene A.

sztrakosae Anan, n.

sp., (3) the late Eocene Marginulina karimae (Anan) and the Pleistocene Marginulina coarctata Silvestri, (4) the middle Eocene Hemirobulina bassiounii Anan and the Oligocene-Miocene H.

hantkeni (Bandy).