Hantkenina compressa

Overview

Hantkenina compressa is a fossil foraminifer that left a small calcareous shell. The shell coils in a flat plane, with slender tubular projections on the outer chambers. Its tiny shell structure can be explored alongside the history of its name.^[1]

Key facts

The name Hantkenina alabamensis compressa was used in literature from 1947. Current catalogues link it to Hantkenina compressa. Even fossils small enough to require a microscope carry a history of reassessed names.^[2][1]

Time and place

It is recorded in late Eocene strata of Victoria, Australia. The broad context of the late Eocene spans roughly 37.7–33.9 million years ago. Shell form can be examined alongside records of the type locality.^[1][3]

The time range describes source context, not the complete duration of this species.

Size, form and skeleton

The calcareous shell is coiled in a flat plane. Slender tubular projections stand out on the outer chambers. The broad outline of the coiled shell and the small outward extensions can be viewed separately.^[1]

Hantkenina compressa is a foraminifer with slender, tubular spines. The specimen used as the reference when it was first named had a diameter of approximately 1 mm including the spine tips, or approximately 0.6 mm excluding them.^[4]

Habitat and reproduction

Which shell features distinguish tiny foraminifers? The arrangement of chambers and their outward projections can be compared together. Very small structures become important criteria for reading form.^[1]

Fossil discovery

The name and shell description in the 1947 literature are linked through Mikrotax’s original-description catalogue. Name-index records can be searched under the species name compressa. Reading literature alongside taxonomic catalogues helps trace this tiny fossil’s record.^[1][2]

References

1. Mikrotax — Original-description catalogue and shell description of Hantkenina
2. Mikrotax — Linked-name catalogue for Hantkenina
3. International Commission on Stratigraphy (2024) — Geological time chart
4. Parr (1947) — Original description of Hantkenina compressa
5. British Geological Survey — The body and life of foraminifera
6. Less et al.2007 — Early evolution and stratigraphic subdivision of Tethyan foraminifera
7. Özcan et al.2001 — Late Paleocene foraminifera from the Haymana–Polatlı Basin

Research questions

What should be checked when one name is linked to a shorter one? The name in the original description can be compared with its shell account. Hantkenina illustrates the value of examining morphological and taxonomic records side by side.^[1][2]

Observation

Follow the flat coil toward the outer chambers. Find the slender tubular projections to see how broad outlines and small features fit together.^[1]