大多数海绵的’骨骼’是由海绵骨针(Spicules)形成的,这些骨针由钙质或者硅质构成,有多种尺寸和三维形状结构.海绵骨针的形态往往是科级甚至种级类群所独有的,因此在分类学上有重要意义.而当海绵死亡解体时,这些骨针会融入沉积物中,有时会积聚成巨大的海绵骨针垫,或形成特殊类型的海绵化石骨针岩.海绵骨针化石和亚化石的记录异常丰富,通常可作为重建海绵群落的基础,它们也承载着重要的生态和环境信息.海绵对生存条件的要求和偏好可以用来重建它们生活的环境,包括水深,pH 值,温度和其他参数的波动;提供古代气候条件的信息;而海绵骨针中的硅同位素组成,也被用来估算整个地质历史时期海洋环境中的硅酸水平,用来重建过去的硅循环和海洋环流
图1-3 Utilizing sponge spicules in taxonomic, ecological and environmental reconstructions: a review
图4 Advances in Sponge Science: Phylogeny, Systematics, Ecology
图5 Chemistry, Chemotaxonomy and Biological Activity of the Latrunculid Sponges (Order Poecilosclerida, Family Latrunculiidae)
图6,7 Spicular analysis of surficial sediments as a supplementary tool for studies of modern sponge communities
图8 Miocene siliceous microfossils from the open cast coal mine Gračanica (Bugojno paleolake, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and their significance: a preliminary report
图9 Long-term macrobioerosion in the Mediterranean Sea assessed by micro-computed tomography