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palaeobotany
palaeobotany Palaeobotany is the study of fossil plants and includes the reconstruction of both plants and their ecology from fossil evidence. Palaeobotany includes not only macrofossil plants but also microscopic plant material that may be included in palynology, the study of fossil spores and pollen and other organic-walled microfossils. In its broadest sense paleobotany includes the study of the fate of plant material from when a plant dies (biostratinomy), through transport and burial (taphonomy) to fossilization (diagenesis). As most fossil plants are fragmented and are found away from their original site of growth, the reconstruction of whole plants is of prime importance. Data on the biology of the plants, together with taphonomic data, can be used in the interpretation of their ecology. Other studies may include the use of plant fossils for palaeoclimatological analysis, for dating and correlation, for palaeoenvironmental analysis, for the study of palaeoatmospheres, paleobiogeography, and evolution. Recent palaeobotanical innovations have involved studies of plant–animal interactions to understand co-evolution; studies on fossil charcoal as evidence of ancient fires; studies on stomata on plant leaves as proxies for ancient CO2 levels; studies of isotopic and molecular structure of plant fossils, from the study of ancient DNA to the resistant biomacromolecules that allow the preservation of plants as fossils; and the contribution of fossil plants to kerogen formation and to the formation of fossil fuels—coal, oil, and gas.
Andrew C. Scott |
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PAUL HANCOCK and BRIAN J. SKINNER. "palaeobotany." The Oxford Companion to the Earth. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PAUL HANCOCK and BRIAN J. SKINNER. "palaeobotany." The Oxford Companion to the Earth. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O112-palaeobotany.html PAUL HANCOCK and BRIAN J. SKINNER. "palaeobotany." The Oxford Companion to the Earth. 2000. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O112-palaeobotany.html |
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palaeobotany
palaeobotany The branch of palaeontology concerned with the study of plants through geological time, as revealed by their fossil remains (see also palynology). It overlaps with other aspects of plant study, including anatomy, ecology, evolution, and taxonomy.
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"palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-palaeobotany.html "palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-palaeobotany.html |
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palaeobotany
palaeobotany Study of ancient plants and pollen that have been preserved by carbonization, waterlogging or freezing. Some plants have been preserved almost intact in frozen soils and in amber.
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"palaeobotany." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "palaeobotany." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-palaeobotany.html "palaeobotany." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-palaeobotany.html |
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palaeobotany
palaeobotany The study of fossil plants.
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Cite this article
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-palaeobotany.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-palaeobotany.html |
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palaeobotany
palaeobotany The study of fossil plants.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-palaeobotany.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-palaeobotany.html |
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palaeobotany
palaeobotany The study of fossil plants.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-palaeobotany.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "palaeobotany." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-palaeobotany.html |
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