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FIGURE 63.5 Estimating past temperatures using the ancient shells of foraminifera. The tiny shells of the protists become buried in layers of ocean sediments. By knowing the age of different ocean sediments and the preferred temperature of different species of foraminifera, scientists can indirectly estimate ocean temperature changes over time based on which species are found in each sediment layer.
(Astrid and Hanns-Frieder Michler/Science Source)