by Robyn Granger
In 2016, I worked every bit a instruction assistant to a grouping of biological scientific discipline in addition to conservation undergraduates. Despite my taxonomy cognition beingness rather express (having done my Master's score inwards Palaeoclimatology), the students never seemed to tire of quest me to seat diverse species inwards the field. It wasn't long earlier they began to affectionately quip “Robyn is a palaeoclimatologist - she knows nothing,” whenever I informed them that I was unable to tell them the departure betwixt a works life that mightiness kill them, in addition to ane that would endure proficient rolled upwards inwards a cigarette.
Figure 1: Both of these organisms are the same species? Now I'm actually confused...[1]
They would in all probability express joy if they could come across me now. Two years later, I convey constitute myself nose-deep inwards a PhD amongst a meaning biological component, which involves picking out the subtlest of differences betwixt tiny ocean-dwelling organisms called foraminifera. My projection involves refining ane of the chemic proxy methods scientists purpose to infer oceanic changes inwards variables similar temperature in addition to nutrients.
Luckily for the scientists, these piddling guys are stubborn creatures: when they die, they sink to the body of body of water flooring but reject to decompose inwards body of body of water sediments fifty-fifty after millions of years. Their chemic makeup reflects that of the surroundings inwards which they lived in addition to died, in addition to then the immaculate preservation of their shells agency that amongst a scrap of detective work, ane tin plough over notice effectively “look dorsum inwards time” to reconstruct the body of body of water surroundings over hundreds, thousands or fifty-fifty millions of years.
Unluckily for me, at that spot is an exhaustive amount of unlike species - in addition to I'm finding out merely how murky taxonomy tin plough over notice be. How does ane define a novel species, every bit opposed to morphological differences inside a unmarried type?
Not alone that, but it seems similar scientists expose novel reasons to reclassify organisms every few years. How tin plough over notice anyone proceed up?! To proceed unopen to semblance of order, in addition to on the advice of unopen to other PhD student, I decided to offset amongst classifying them into what I felt they resembled. Petri dishes 1, ii in addition to three were therefore labelled “Popcorn,” “Spiral,” in addition to “Rose” respectively. But the philosophy of taxonomy is a combat for unopen to other time.
Over the past times few months, my principal employment organization has been to alternative out foraminifera from modern seawater samples inwards the promise of obtaining their chemic composition - a fundamental measuring towards validating my methodology. Hundreds of hours spent bent over a microscope convey yielded several grand foraminifera (and chronic backache) but has yet left me wondering how best to distinguish betwixt them.
I was delighted when I came across a website that claimed to endure a taxonomic guide. Perfect, I thought. I could merely move inwards in the characteristics of the foraminifer, in addition to the estimator would spit out the answer. This proved to endure a failure: either I was putting inwards the incorrect characteristics, or the listing of available species was generated based on Northern Hemisphere samples (which tin plough over notice endure really unlike to those constitute inwards the South African waters where I am working). Either way, I kept coming upwards amongst “no matches,” despite my protests to the cyberspace that my foraminifera definitely existed.
Textbook photographs of foraminifera helped, but the images were almost also good; the stereo microscope that I was using could inwards no way demo the item depicted in addition to described inwards those pages.
So I changed strategy - I sourced a Scanning Electron Microscope, in addition to although this required a painstaking amount of operate matching upwards images shot from the SEM, the stereo's photographic tv set camera in addition to my cellphone, slowly, the murky basis of foraminifera taxonomy started to teach less so.
Strangely enough, the difficulties I've had inwards identifying the foraminifera convey alone made me honey studying them fifty-fifty more. It's teach similar a puzzle, or a game entitled “Name that Foraminifer!”, in addition to I am determined to uncover their secrets. To this end, I've registered to attend this year's International School on Foraminifera. People tell me I'm a nerd to endure excited most this, but I know they're merely proverb that to comprehend their burning jealousy.
If I were to come upwards across my biological scientific discipline students again, maybe they would yet remind me that I know nothing. But no longer tin plough over notice I plead the excuse that I am non a biologist; somewhere along the way in addition to without fully realising it, I stepped into the basis of biogeochemistry.
by Robyn Granger
In 2016, I worked every bit a instruction assistant to a grouping of biological scientific discipline in addition to conservation undergraduates. Despite my taxonomy cognition beingness rather express (having done my Master's score inwards Palaeoclimatology), the students never seemed to tire of quest me to seat diverse species inwards the field. It wasn't long earlier they began to affectionately quip “Robyn is a palaeoclimatologist - she knows nothing,” whenever I informed them that I was unable to tell them the departure betwixt a works life that mightiness kill them, in addition to ane that would endure proficient rolled upwards inwards a cigarette.
Figure 1: Both of these organisms are the same species? Now I'm actually confused...[1]
They would in all probability express joy if they could come across me now. Two years later, I convey constitute myself nose-deep inwards a PhD amongst a meaning biological component, which involves picking out the subtlest of differences betwixt tiny ocean-dwelling organisms called foraminifera. My projection involves refining ane of the chemic proxy methods scientists purpose to infer oceanic changes inwards variables similar temperature in addition to nutrients.
Luckily for the scientists, these piddling guys are stubborn creatures: when they die, they sink to the body of body of water flooring but reject to decompose inwards body of body of water sediments fifty-fifty after millions of years. Their chemic makeup reflects that of the surroundings inwards which they lived in addition to died, in addition to then the immaculate preservation of their shells agency that amongst a scrap of detective work, ane tin plough over notice effectively “look dorsum inwards time” to reconstruct the body of body of water surroundings over hundreds, thousands or fifty-fifty millions of years.
Unluckily for me, at that spot is an exhaustive amount of unlike species - in addition to I'm finding out merely how murky taxonomy tin plough over notice be. How does ane define a novel species, every bit opposed to morphological differences inside a unmarried type?
 |
| Figure 2: A disheartening outcome for my search. a a |
Over the past times few months, my principal employment organization has been to alternative out foraminifera from modern seawater samples inwards the promise of obtaining their chemic composition - a fundamental measuring towards validating my methodology. Hundreds of hours spent bent over a microscope convey yielded several grand foraminifera (and chronic backache) but has yet left me wondering how best to distinguish betwixt them.
I was delighted when I came across a website that claimed to endure a taxonomic guide. Perfect, I thought. I could merely move inwards in the characteristics of the foraminifer, in addition to the estimator would spit out the answer. This proved to endure a failure: either I was putting inwards the incorrect characteristics, or the listing of available species was generated based on Northern Hemisphere samples (which tin plough over notice endure really unlike to those constitute inwards the South African waters where I am working). Either way, I kept coming upwards amongst “no matches,” despite my protests to the cyberspace that my foraminifera definitely existed.
Textbook photographs of foraminifera helped, but the images were almost also good; the stereo microscope that I was using could inwards no way demo the item depicted in addition to described inwards those pages.
 |
| Figure three (Left): Using a stereo microscope, I could come across my foraminifera upwards close, but these didn't hold off similar the beautiful SEM pages constitute online in addition to inwards textbooks (Right). Left: An educated stab at identification! Some of my SEM images include (a) Globorotalia inflata, aka Rose, (b) Globorotalia truncatulinoides, also known to me every bit Spiral; in addition to (c) Globigerina bulloides, which looks rather similar Popcorn. |
So I changed strategy - I sourced a Scanning Electron Microscope, in addition to although this required a painstaking amount of operate matching upwards images shot from the SEM, the stereo's photographic tv set camera in addition to my cellphone, slowly, the murky basis of foraminifera taxonomy started to teach less so.
Strangely enough, the difficulties I've had inwards identifying the foraminifera convey alone made me honey studying them fifty-fifty more. It's teach similar a puzzle, or a game entitled “Name that Foraminifer!”, in addition to I am determined to uncover their secrets. To this end, I've registered to attend this year's International School on Foraminifera. People tell me I'm a nerd to endure excited most this, but I know they're merely proverb that to comprehend their burning jealousy.
If I were to come upwards across my biological scientific discipline students again, maybe they would yet remind me that I know nothing. But no longer tin plough over notice I plead the excuse that I am non a biologist; somewhere along the way in addition to without fully realising it, I stepped into the basis of biogeochemistry.
by Robyn Granger
Oceanography, University of Cape Town, South Africa
If y'all convey questions or comments concerning Robyn's post, delight move out a comment below, or ship her an email. You are also encouraged to take in her department's website.
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[1] Thirumalai K, Richey J N, Quinn T M, Poore R Z. 2014. Globigerinoides ruber morphotypes inwards the Gulf of Mexico: A exam of zero hypothesis. Scientific Reports 4:6018. DOI: 10.1038/srep06018
If y'all convey questions or comments concerning Robyn's post, delight move out a comment below, or ship her an email. You are also encouraged to take in her department's website.
______________________________________________________
Reference:
[1] Thirumalai K, Richey J N, Quinn T M, Poore R Z. 2014. Globigerinoides ruber morphotypes inwards the Gulf of Mexico: A exam of zero hypothesis. Scientific Reports 4:6018. DOI: 10.1038/srep06018