Radiolaria from the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean (Barbados), Eocene. Image by Claudio Stadler, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
Chair: Savannah Worne (Nottingham Trent University)
Secretary: Luca Pellegrino (University of Torino, Italy)
The Silicofossil Group emerged within TMS in the early 2000’s mainly by Diatom and Radiolarian specialists and has organized some successful biannual joint meetings with the Palynology Group of TMS.
The TMS Silicofossil Group is unique as it encompasses several taxonomic groups that share the physiological adaptation of using silica to synthesize skeletal forms. As such, silica biomineralization is a common area of interest to the members of the Silicofossil Group, including factors controlling growth, morphology and preservation of siliceous microfossils. This encompasses diverse themes, including physiology, taxonomy, evolution, genetics and ecology, and application-based topics related to biochemical engineering, palaeoceanography, paleolimnology, biostratigraphy, palaeobiology, etc., ranging from the molecular scale (genetics, physiology, etc.) to global scale (geochemical cycling, biodiversity, etc.) studies.
Recent Silicofossil Posts
- ISSS Meeting September 10-13 2025, Seville SpainAdd to your calendar here! The official 2025 meeting of the International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy will take place in Spain, as agreed by the delegates at the last annual meeting held in Sofia, Bulgaria, in September 2024. This year marks the 27th anniversary of the Silurian Field Meeting that took… Read more: ISSS Meeting September 10-13 2025, Seville Spain
- 12th International Cretaceous Symposium, 31 August – 5th September 2025Add to your calendar here. Welcome to the 12th International Cretaceous Symposium, which will take place from 31 August to 5 September 2025 in Hannover, Germany. This prestigious event, jointly organized by Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH) and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), will provide a unique platform for leading scientists and professionals to… Read more: 12th International Cretaceous Symposium, 31 August – 5th September 2025
- Microfossil Image Competition 2025 for 2026 TMS Calendar – EntrySince 2014, TMS has held a micropalaeontology-themed image competition, where the winning 12 images form our TMS calendar every year. This year’s competition is now open so please submit your images here! To submit an image, please fill in the form above by the 2nd of July 2025. Late entries will… Read more: Microfossil Image Competition 2025 for 2026 TMS Calendar – Entry
- The Micropalaeontological Society Annual Conference – Pisa, ItalyA Natural Kaleidoscope: understanding the Earth system through microfossils We are delighted to announce that the Annual Conference of The Micropalaeontological Society (TMS) will be held in Pisa, Italy, from 5 to 8 November 2025, hosted by the University of Pisa. The conference will feature: The TMS Annual Conference will be held in Pisa,… Read more: The Micropalaeontological Society Annual Conference – Pisa, Italy
- Internship Opportunity: Deep-sea sediments off the Al Wajh Carbonate Platform, Red SeaProfessor Volker Vahrenkamp’s research team is currently recruiting for an up to 6-month internship joining the Carbonate Reservoirs Studies Group (CaResS Geology) at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Project description: The Red Sea records climatic and associated sea-level and hydrological changes throughout… Read more: Internship Opportunity: Deep-sea sediments off the Al Wajh Carbonate Platform, Red Sea