Soft-shelled foraminiferal image dataset

The data represent an image dataset of monothalamous soft-shelled Foraminifera. Soft-shelled monothalamous foraminifera are poorly known compared to their more robust, hard-shelled, polythalamous (multichambered) relatives, as reflected in the low numbers of described species compared to the much larger number of undescribed morphotypes. They are usually under-represented in traditional, morphology-based studies because their morphological identification is a time-consuming and difficult task. Moreover, their delicate tests are either ignored or not preserved, particularly when sediment residues are dried. In addition, micropaleontologiists are generally not interested in them because that have very low fossilization potential. Despite this, they are abundant and represent a diverse foraminiferal component living in the marine ecosystem particularly in the bathyal and abyssal deep- sea (Table 2 in Gooday et al., 1997) and in high-latitude settings (e.g., Thorson, 1934; Gooday et al., 2006 Svalbard paper). Therefore, the central aim of this dataset is to provide a tool that micropaleontologists and biologists can use to incorporate delicate monothalamids into foraminiferal studies in Arctic settings.

本数据集描绘了一组单房软壳球石（monothalamous soft-shelled Foraminifera）的图像数据集。相较于其更为坚固、硬壳的多房（polythalamous，多室）亲缘种类，单房软壳球石的研究相对匮乏，这一点从已描述物种数量的稀少与未描述形态类型数量之庞大形成鲜明对比。由于其在形态学鉴定上的耗时性与复杂性，单房软壳球石通常在传统的基于形态学的研究中得不到充分体现。此外，其脆弱的壳体要么被忽视，要么在沉积物残留物干燥过程中无法保存。另外，由于化石化潜力极低，微体古生物学家通常对其不感兴趣。尽管如此，单房软壳球石在海洋生态系统，尤其是在深海的次深海和深海区域（参见Gooday等，1997年表2）以及高纬度地区（例如，Thorson，1934年；Gooday等，2006年斯瓦尔巴特论文）中却极为丰富，构成了一个多样化的球石组成部分。因此，本数据集的核心目标是为微体古生物学家和生物学家提供一个工具，使他们能够将脆弱的单房球石融入北极地区球石研究之中。