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Taxonomy is the description, naming and classification of organisms, and the taxonomy of coccolithophores is based largely upon the structure of the coccoliths. The production of coccoliths requires complex biochemical processes, which have been programmed into the group since their origination, and so they provide an apparently faithful record of evolutionary history. The coccolith-based taxonomy has stood up well to the introduction of detailed biological and DNA-based molecular genetic studies on living taxa and in most case the different approaches agree well.
All heterococcolith formation observed to date, begins with the formation of a ring of calcite crystals (the proto-coccolith ring) on an organic base-plate scale within the cell. The proto-coccolith ring is formed of calcite crystals with alternating sub-vertical and sub-radial c-axis orientations, known as the V- and R-units. Their subsequent growth into complex coccolith structures forms the basis for coccolithophore taxonomy.
An online taxonomic resource, Nannotax, can be found at:
An overview of current nannofossil taxonomy is online at:
http://ina.tmsoc.org/taxcatalog/INTRO.HTM
A guide to descriptive terminology is online at:
