Factors influencing porosity in planktonic foraminifera

As such, pore measurements could provide a novel means of tracking changes in metabolic rate in the fossil record. However, in planktonic foraminifera, variation in pore size, density, and porosity have been variously attributed to environmental, biological, and taxonomic drivers, complicating such an interpretation.

Here we examine the environmental, biological, and evolutionary determinants of porosity in 718 individuals representing 17 morphospecies of planktonic foraminifera from 6 core tops in the North Atlantic. Using random forest models, we find that porosity is primarily correlated to size and habitat temperature, two key factors in determining metabolic rates. In order to test if this correlation arose spuriously through the association of cryptic species with distinct biomes, we cultured Globigerinoides ruber in three different temperature conditions, and found that porosity increased with temperature.