A model for planktic foraminiferal shell growth
In this paper we analyze the laws of growth that control planktic foraminiferal shell morphology. We assume that isometry is the key toward the understanding of their ontogeny. Hence, our null hypothesis is that these organisms construct isometric shells. To test this hypothesis, geometric models of their shells have been generated with a personal computer. It is demonstrated that early chambers in log-spirally coiled structures cannot follow a strict isometric arrangement. In the real world, the centers of juvenile chambers deviate from the logarithmic growth curve. Juvenile stages are generally more planispiral and contain more chambers per whorl than adult stages. These traits are shown …
A computer method for estimating volumes and surface areas of complex structures consisting of overlapping spheres
A PASCAL program which calculates volumes and surface areas of structures consisting of overlapping spheres is designed. The calculation is done by modelling the structure in the memory of a computer and then scanning the memory bit- or bytewise. A brief discussion of the error is presented, and an example for testing the algorithm is provided.