ScienceSeptember 4, 2026
radiolarians
ray-dee-oh-LAIR-ee-unz
Definition
Microscopic, single-celled marine plankton that secrete intricate skeletons made of silica and are vital for reconstructing ancient ocean environments.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'radius' (ray or spoke) and the suffix '-arian,' reflecting the radially symmetrical, spiky shape of their mineral skeletons.
In the news
The article discusses how these organisms were overlooked in black shale because traditional acid-dissolving techniques destroyed their delicate remains, leading to an undercount in the fossil record.
Scientists looked inside a rock pellet smaller than a grain of rice and found a 445-million-year-old world preserved within it — more than 20 microscopic marine organisms, including a species never seen before
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com