DINOFLAGELLATE

DINOFLAGELLATES
S

Submitted by- DEBASHREE SWAIN Submitted to- Dr. N. Malarkodi

19TUSA6012 Dept. Of Geology
MSc 2nd year Bangalore University
Dept. Of Geology, Bangalore University
 Ever wondered what is this
blue glow in the ocean?

Do you know what

causes red tides?
DINOFLAGELLATES
Unicellular eukaryotes with two dissimilar flagella and
both plant and animal characteristics
20-150 micro-meter in diameter, Noctiluca is the largest
one

Mostly marine and PHOTOSYNTHETIC, though a large

fraction is also MIXOTROPHIC
Primary producers of world oceans after diatoms

Many dinoflagellates are also bioluminescent.

Gonyaulax, Gymnodinium, Alexandrium etc produce
harmful algal blooms which causes red tides.
Most primitive of eukaryotes ; intermediate between
prokaryotes and eukaryotes

Majority exhibit alternation of generation in their life cycle-

Planktonic MOTILE STAGE (Asexual stage)
Benthic CYST STAGE (Sexual stage)

MOTILE (theca) cells have a prominent nucleus and sculptured

cell wall and flagella.
CYST cells (Dinocysts) are often resistant and made out of
Dinosporin.

Although motile cells are abundant and wide-ranging, it is the

resistant resting cyst which leaves a fossil record.
They are excellent biostratigraphical markers in the Jurassic.

So they are valuable tools in biostratigraphy, palaeoecology ,

palaeoclimatology and evolutionary paleontology
MOTILE STAGE

Transverse Longitudinal
Flagellum Flagellum
Present in
CINGULUM Present in SULCUS

Provides forward Provides little

motion and spin propulsive force
to dinoflagellates acting as a rudder

The combined action of these two flagella cause rotation

of the organism while moving forward. So they are
called WHIRLING WHIPS.
Fig: Transverse and longitudinal flagellum
Dinoflagellates are surrounded by a complex covering called
Amphiesma which consists of outer and inner continuous
membranes and between which lie a series of flattened
vesicles.

Unarmoured cell Armoured cell

wall (Athecate) wall (Thecate)

Flexible Rigid

Pellicle with
Proteinaceous cavities filled by
envelope (PELLICLE) plates of fibrous
with flattened cellulose to form a
cavities closely fitting
theca.

Fig: Tabulation in Dinoflagellate
Overall cell shape can be spherical, subspherical, ovoid,
biconical, fusiform, rod shaped, rectangular, polygonal etc.
• Mode of arrangement of plates is known as TABULATION
Anterior to cingulum is EPITHECA ; Opposite is HYPOTHECA
Side bearing the sulcus is VENTRAL ; Opposite is DORSAL
Anterior end terminates in APICAL HORN
Posterior end terminates in ANTAPICAL HORNS
Five plate series are found to encircle each cell, each plate
being numbered in a counter clockwise direction using the
Kofoidian system
.
Epitheca- Apical and Precingular series
Cingulum- Cingular series
Hypotheca- Antapical and Postcingular series
Intercalary plates may develop at sites between the series
Sulcus- Sulcal plates
CYST STAGE

Only 10-20% are known to encyst following

sexual reproduction.
Cyst is formed within the motile cell.

Three basic kind of cysts- PROXIMATE ,

PROXIMOCHORATE AND CHORATE

In proximochorate cysts , the tips of the

processes is joined by a thin filamentous
TRABECULAE giving the impression of an
additional layer
Cyst wall (PHRAGMA) is built of organic material resistant to bacterial decay called DINOSPORIN

Cyst wall may consist of one or multiple layers- Single layered cyst is called AUTOCYST. Its wall is called AUTOPHRAGM
Double layered cyst can be of two types called CAVATE and HOLOCAVATE

Cavate Cyst- Two layers (Periphragm and Endophragm) are not connected
Holocavate Cyst- Two layers (Ectophragm and Autophragm) are connected
CYST SURFACE FEATURES

 Dinoflagellate cyst can be smooth or bear

granules, ridges, indentations, raised
crests or spines, processes or horns.

 Tabular ornament is SUTURAL if it defines

plate boundaries or INTRATABULAR if it
defines central parts of plates.

 Processes situated at the intersection of

paraplate boundaries are GONAL
 Processes situated along boundaries are
INTERGONAL
 Portion apical to the reflected
cingulum is called EPICYST and
antapical portion is HYPOCYST.

In recent sediments cyst

morphology maybe directly related
to salinity.
EX- Tectatodinium and Spiniferites
are round in normal marine
conditions yet cruciform in low
saline conditions.
Operculodinium are known to have
reduced number of processes in
low saline conditions.
Function of a cyst is demonstrated by the presence of an escape
hole called ARCHAEOPYLE
LIFE CYCLE OF DINOFLAGELLATES
DINOFLAGELLATE ECOLOGY

Armoured and autotrophic dinoflagellates currently form a major part of the ocean plankton.
Autotrophic forms thrive in areas of upwelling currents. Rarely found alive below 50m depth.

 Flagella brings them to the surface at night and withdraws to greater depth during the day.

Primary ecological factor for controlling cyst assemblage is sea surface temperature. It has wide
temperature tolerance (1-35 degree centigrade)
Ex- Length and angle between antapical horns varies with temperature in Ceratium.

A change of only few degrees might be sufficient to cause differentiation into biogeographical
provinces.
Ex- distribution of dinoflagellate cyst in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Dinoflagellates can tolerate
wide range of salinities. They
show optimal growth at
salinity of 10-20%
Size and morphology of the
cyst may vary considerably
with salinity. The greatest
variation lies in the number,
density and structure of the
processes. Ex-
Lingulodinium from Black
sea
Cysts are abundant in
sediments from coastal to
continental slope and rise
settings. There is also a
tendency for specific diversity
to increase with distance from
shore.

Problems in interpreting palaeoecology

Specific assemblages of
dinoflagellates are known from
estuarine, nearshore, neritic and
oceanic environments. So, ocean
currents can be traced in cyst
distribution patterns
of fossil dinoflagellates-
1-Fossils of pre-quaternary age are not
easy to relate
2- Many leave no fossil record
3-Cysts may sink and drift to depths
beyond the tolerance of the species.
CLASSIFICATION
PERIDINIA Prorocentroid Most primitive, Two equal flagella and
unarmoured. Prorocentrum is a living genus
ia involved in red tides.

Gymnodinoid Predatory and parasitic forms lacking

armour but having a flexible pellicle.
ia Ex- Gymnodinium (Recent),
Dinogymnodinium (Late Cretaceous)

Armoured motile stage. Both theca and cyst

Peridinoidia bear two antapical horns

Ex- Gonyaulax ( chorate or proximochorate
cyst, lacks horns and asymmetrical tabulation)
Deflandrea (fossil cavate cyst with horns)
Peridinium (proximate cyst with peridinoid
shape)
Gonyaulacysta (fossil proximate cyst)
Hystrichosphaeridium (fossil chorate cyst)
BILIDINEA
Armoured, lack a distinctive tabulation
Dinophysida
Cingulum unites with the sulcus in a T or Y shaped
junction
Both furrows are bordered by flang like crests.
Cysts are proximate.
Archaeopyle and operculum are epicystal.
Two antapical horns.
Nannoceratopsida Ex- Ornithocercus (Recent)
Nannoceratopsis ( Jurassic)
GENERAL HISTORY OF
DINOFLAGELLATES
i) Peridinalean history reached in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras.

ii) Dinosterane and 4-alpha-methyl-24-ethylcholestane are two dinoflagellate biomarkers

in samples of upper Proterozoic and Cambrian age.

iii) RNA sequence data indicates that the dinoflagellates diverged before the foraminifera
and Radiolaria which both have a Cambrian fossil record.

iv) It is evident that late Precambrian and Palaeozoic radiations of acritarchs may represent
an earlier stage in dinoflagellate history when non tabulate forms thrived

V) The earliest record of an equivocal peridinoid cyst is Arpylorus from the Silurian. This
has been interpreted as possessing tabulation, a cingulum and a precingular archaeopyle.

Fig- Possible evolutionary relationships
among dinoflagellates
 The main dinoflagellate radiation began in the mid to
late Triassic with the appearance of genera such as
Suessia.
 Proximate cysts were common throughout Jurassic. Ex-
Gonyaulacysta Jurassica
 Many cretaceous forms are chorate or proximochorate.
At this time the greatest diversity of dinoflagellate cysts
were reached.
 Cavate peridinoid dinoflagellate cysts began to flourish
in Aptian-Albian and dominated many Tertiary
assemblages until the Oligocene, almost dying out in
the Pliocene.
 Proximate and chorate dinoflagellate cysts with
complex processes occur in the Eocene and Oligocene
but simpler forms have prevailed since then
 Dinoflagellate cysts first appeared in fresh water
sediments during the tertiary.
(a) Gonyaulacysta
jurassica

(b) Spiniferites
mirabilis

(c ) Wetzeliella
articulata

(d)Protoperidinium
communis
Fig 1: Cyst and motile cell Fig 2: Thecate and athecate

Fig 3 & 4: Types of dinoflagellates

APPLICATIONS OF DINOFLAGELLATE CYST

Dinoflagellate cysts are ideal biostratigraphical indices.

Late Triassic assemblages known from Alaska, Australia, England and Austria; only one biozone recognized-
Rhaetogonyaulax rhaetica Interval Biozone
Mesozoic assemblages are low in species diversity. By mid Jurassic they were an important part of
phytoplankton.

Dinoflagellate cysts in sequence stratigraphy (Haq et Palaeoecological

al in 1987) utility of dinoflagellate
cyst. Areoliera,
Ex- Relationship between cyst species diversity and Spiniferites indicate
system tracts in KT boundary of Alabama open water
Sensitivity of cyst assemblages to transgressive and Wetzeliella indicate
regressive cycles in the lower oligocene, Boom clay of estuarine environment
Belgium
This ratio is used as a proxy
for palaeotemperature in
Gonyaulacean to peridinalean ratio used as post Paleogene sediments;
shoreline indicator. increasing ratio = cooler
water
Dinoflagellates as • Subtropical to tropical climate in Pliocene of
indicator of southwest England
palaeoclimate • Neogene dinoflagellate cyst in polar oceans

• Palaeosalinity indicator is poorly developed

• Cyst abundance data are used to predict
Dinoflagellates as ocean temperatures.
indicator of • Interglacials are represented by high
palaeosalinity and abundance of Operculodinium, Spiniferites
palaeotemperature and Protoperidinium.
• Dinoflagellate cysts indicate the provenance
of sediments and the directions of transport.
CONCLUSION
Dinoflagellates are single celled organisms with two flagella and both plant and animal
characteristics.
These organisms produce red tides when populations bloom. Many living dinoflagellates are also
bioluminiscent.
These have formed an important part of phytoplankton since mid-Mesozoic times but their fossil
record may extend into the Precambrian.
Dinoflagellate cysts have proved to be valuable tools in biostratigraphy, palaeoecology,
palaeoclimatology and evolutionary palaeontology.

REFERENCE:

https://www.britannica.com/science/dinoflagellate
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/dinoflagellate.html
Howard Armstrong and Martin Braisier, 2005, Microfossils
THANK YOU