Benthic Protozoa (Foraminifera, Allogromiida) As Potential Indicator Species for the Sedimentation Record of the Azov–Black Sea Basin Bottom Deposits

Abstract

Allogromiida are soft-shelled benthic foraminifera protected by thin proteinaceous shells only. They lack rigid calcareous or arenaceous structures and do not undergo fossilization. Some species of the genus Psammophaga are known to accumulate crystals of certain minerals in the cytoplasm during the life cycle. Information on benthic foraminifera (allogromiids) that inhabit the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and accumulate mineral crystals of unknown nature inside the cells is given in the present paper for the first time. Information on these organisms is proposed to be relevant for the reconstruction of sedimentation basins that existed during the past geological epochs.