Table 4.2: Average species longevities for 1418 Cenozoic marine plankton species contained in Neptune. Longevities and standard deviations are in million years.
Plankton Group |
Number of species |
Extant species |
Mean Longevity of Extant Species |
Standard Deviation |
Mean Longevity of Extinct Species |
Standard Deviation |
| Diatoms | 389 |
26.5 |
14.4 |
13.7 |
10.2 |
10.3 |
| Foraminifera | 281 |
13.9 |
13.9 |
9.2 |
11.1 |
7.8 |
| Radiolarians | 383 |
29.8 |
13.4 |
9.2 |
12.9 |
7.8 |
| Nannofossils | 365 |
8.5 |
17.8 |
19.8 |
13.1 |
10.6 |
| All groups | 1418 |
20.2 |
14.3 |
12.4 |
11.9 |
9.4 |