This chapter deals with biology, morphology and classification. It contains sections on biology; on morphology; and on classification. The section on biology includes sub-sections on the living organism and its soft-part morphology, on life strategies, and on life activities. The section on morphology includes sub-sections on descriptive terminology and morphological description, and on functional morphology. The section on classification includes sub-sections on Foraminifera in the scheme of living things, and on suprageneric classification of the Foraminifera.

The following is an abridged account of the biology, morphology and systematics, that is, the pure micropalaeontology, of the Foraminifera based on Jones (1996, 2006, 2011a) (see also the ‘further reading’ list at the end of the chapter).

Biology

The biology of living Foraminifera is comparatively poorly known, partly because the group has historically received more attention from geologists than biologists, and partly because of difficulties in reproducing living conditions in laboratory culture experiments (but see the further reading list at the end of the chapter).

The living organism, and its soft-part morphology

As intimated in the preface, Foraminifera are single-celled organisms similar to Amoebae or Amoebida, and testate Amoebae or Theacamoebida, but differing in the possession of granulo-reticulose rather than filose or lobose pseudopodia; and also by the possession of an agglutinated or secreted shell or test, bearing an opening or aperture through which they can communicate with their external milieu (see Section 3.2).