Micropaleontology studies fossil microorganisms (foraminifera, ostracods, diatoms, radiolarians, dinoflagellates, coccolithophores, etc.) through their morphology, composition, and spatial and temporal distribution in order to reconstruct the history of life and past environments. Research focuses on their evolution, diversity, systematics, ecology, and paleobiology, using a multidisciplinary approach that integrates sedimentary geology, biogeography, and geochemistry. Thanks to their abundance, excellent preservation, and rapid evolutionary rates, microfossils are key bioindicators in biostratigraphy, paleoecology, paleoceanography, and paleoclimatology. Morphological, isotopic, and geochemical analyses allow precise reconstructions of variations in temperature, salinity, oxygenation, biological productivity, sea level, and continental inputs.
Microfossils are particularly valuable for investigating Quaternary climate variability. Micropaleontological assemblages record changes in marine and coastal environments as well as extreme events (storms, tsunamis, droughts, floods, and rapid sea-level fluctuations), providing essential archives for understanding their frequency, intensity, and impacts. These data also serve as important reference frameworks for assessing the effects of ongoing climate change and improving predictive models of coastal hazards. Beyond their fundamental importance for understanding the evolution of the biosphere and the interactions among climate, oceans, and ecosystems, microfossils have numerous applications in applied geology, particularly in petroleum and mineral exploration, water-resource management, and environmental studies.
