Benthic foraminifera: The validity of living, dead or total assemblages for the interpretation of palaeoecology

Abstract. Data on modern foraminifera provide the basis for the palaeoecological interpretation of fossil forms. The validity of the use of living, dead, and total (living plus dead) assemblages is discussed. It is concluded that ecological studies can be carried out only on living assemblages and that it is important to determine the production and postmortem influences which lead to the formation of the dead assemblage. The use of total assemblages is shown to be ill-founded.