This dataset comprises analytical, modeled, and imaging data of eclogitic clinopyroxene inclusions hosted in diamonds from the Cullinan Mine (South Africa) and the Rassolnaya Placer (Urals Mountains, Russia). Six inclusions containing varying proportions of spongy clinopyroxene (~10–100%) were selected to investigate the mechanisms of spongy clinopyroxene formation. In addition, we provide supplementary figures to Wang et al.(2025) to which these data are supplementary to.
Major element compositions of the primary cores and spongy rims of clinopyroxene were analyzed using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Pressure–temperature conditions were estimated using conventional thermobarometry and pMELTS modeling, which was also employed to simulate partial melting of primary clinopyroxene and the compositions of resulting melts and spongy clinopyroxene. Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, and photoluminescence data were used to assess volatile contents and structural features. Back-scattered electron (BSE) imaging and CT scans provide 2D and 3D textural constraints.
Data are organized into two main tables and ten supplementary tables (Tables S1–S10), which include sulfide inclusion compositions, Raman peak data, and modeling outputs. Fifteen supplementary figures (S1–S15) include BSE images, compositional variation plots, and CT scan visualizations. Two CT scan videos. All data are provided in open file formats (.xlsx, .docx, .avi), with accompanying metadata and documentation to ensure transparency and reproducibility.
Data collection took place between 2023.06 and 2025.01, and no physical sampling campaign was required, as the materials were sourced from curated diamond specimens. This dataset supports the manuscript “Formation of Spongy Clinopyroxene: Insights from Eclogitic Inclusions in Diamonds” and adheres to FAIR data principles.
Changes in morphology during ontogeny can have profound impacts on the physiology and biology of a species. Studies of ontogenetic disparity through time are rare because of the lack of preservation of developmental stages in the fossil record. This leaves important processes difficult to address such as changes in ontogenetic disparity through the evolution of a higher taxon. As they grow by incremental chamber accretion, and retain evidence of growth in their shell, planktic foraminifera are an ideal group for the study of this process. Here, we show how different developmental stages in Jurassic foraminifers can be used to decipher the ecology and therefore infer the evolutionary implications of shape of these earliest representatives of the group. Using a Zeiss XRadia micro CT-scanner, the development of Globuligerina bathoniana and Globuligerina oxfordiana from the Bathonian sediments of Gnaszyn, Poland, and Globuligerina balakhmatovae and Globuligerina tojeiraensis from the Kimmeridgian Tojeira Formation of Portugal was reconstructed. Disparity is low through the early evolution of planktic foraminifers. The number of chambers and range in surface area per unit volume is lower than in modern specimens which we interpret as an indication of opportunistic behaviour. Strong ontogenetic constraints indicated by low plasticity during the juvenile stage noted in the modern ocean are already present in Jurassic specimens. The high surface area per unit volume points towards the need to satisfy a higher metabolic demand than is found in the adult specimens. The short life cycles and potentially rapid reproduction may have allowed these species to exploit the warm, shallow and nutrient rich waters of the Jurassic Tethys Ocean.