| Asterigerinacea Temporal range: Cretaceous–Recent |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Protista |
| Phylum: | Granuloreticulosa |
| Class: | Foraminifera |
| Order: | Rotaliida |
| Superfamily: | Asterigerinacea. Loeblich & Tappan (1988) |
| Families | |
|
Episomariidae |
|
The Asterigerinacea (sometimes Asterigerinoidea) is a superfamily of foraminifera included in the order Rotaliida.[1] It is a rather new group in terms of its recognition having been proposed by Loeblich and Tappan ca. 1988 and is formed by combining three families[2] previously included in other rotaliid superfamlies.[3] These are the Episomariidae and Asterigerinidae which had been included in the Discorbacea and the Amphisteginidae which was included in the Orbiotoidacea
Asterigerinacea are characterized by a trochospiral or nearly planispiral arrangement of the chambers, which are fully or partially subdivided by internal partitions. The primary aperture is commonly on the interior margin and secondary apertures are commonly along the sutures. Apertures may also form on the chamber surfaces as well. Test walls are composed of optically radial calcite.[2]
The Asterigerinacea range from the Cretaceous to Recent,[3] the oldest family being the Asterigerinidae.