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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Published on: January 19, 2018

Surviving mass extinction by bridging the benthic/planktic divide.

Kate F Darling¹, Ellen Thomas, Simone A Kasemann

¹School of GeoSciences and Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JW, United Kingdom. kate.darling@ed.ac.uk

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|July 4, 2009

Summary

Planktic foraminifera may not have a single evolutionary origin. Genetic and geochemical data reveal a species occupying both planktic and benthic environments, challenging previous evolutionary models.

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The Benthic Exchange of O2, N2 and Dissolved Nutrients Using Small Core Incubations

The Benthic Exchange of O₂, N₂ and Dissolved Nutrients Using Small Core Incubations

Published on: August 3, 2016

Area of Science:

Marine Biology
Paleontology
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

The evolution of planktic (free-swimming) organisms from benthic (seafloor-dwelling) ancestors is often considered a singular, unidirectional event per lineage.
Foraminifera, a group of marine protozoa, are believed to have originated from benthic ancestors in the Jurassic, with all planktic forms belonging to the Suborder Globigerinina.
Past mass extinctions have significantly impacted planktic foraminifera diversity, with survivors radiating to form new assemblages.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the evolutionary origins and phylogenetic placement of planktic foraminifera.
To challenge the long-held assumption of a monophyletic origin for all planktic foraminifera.
To explore the ecological flexibility and potential dual-habitat lifestyle of certain foraminiferal species.

Main Methods:

Genetic analysis to determine species relationships.
Geochemical analysis to understand environmental conditions and growth habitats.
Phylogenetic analysis incorporating new ecological data.

Main Results:

Conclusive genetic evidence shows the planktic foraminifer Streptochilus globigerus is the same biological species as the benthic Bolivina variabilis.
Geochemical data indicate that S. globigerus actively inhabits open-ocean surface waters, demonstrating a tychopelagic (dual planktic and benthic) lifestyle.
This finding suggests that foraminifera can occupy both pelagic and benthic domains, a lifestyle previously unrecognized in this group.

Conclusions:

The discovery of a tychopelagic foraminifer challenges the traditional view of unidirectional evolution into planktic domains.
This dual-habitat lifestyle provides significant ecological advantages, including rapid recolonization potential after extinctions.
The existence of tychopelagic species must be considered when reconstructing foraminiferal phylogeny and understanding their evolutionary history.