Articles tagged with Paleobotany
A new comprehensive study reveals that modern afforestation in Europe is contrary to the continent's long-term ecological trajectory. The study suggests that dense forests are a recent phenomenon and that current reforestation practices are on the wrong track, harming biodiversity.
A new study finds that fewer than 250 fossils are required to train an image-based AI algorithm, a significant improvement on previously thought numbers. The discovery could greatly speed up the identification process in vertebrate paleontology, where most fossils are fragmented and difficult to analyze.
Researchers developed a genetically informed dynamic species distribution model to reconstruct the distributional history of wild Piper nigrum from 21,000 years ago. The model identified glacial refugia and patterns of range contraction, expansion, and fragmentation following the Last Glacial Maximum.
A team of scientists has discovered chemical evidence of ancient life in 3.3 billion-year-old rocks, doubling the window of time for detecting organic molecules that reveal information about original organisms. The study also found molecular signs of photosynthesis dating back over 800 million years earlier than previously documented.
A Smithsonian-led team has discovered North America's oldest known pterosaur, dating back to the late Triassic period around 209 million years ago. The fossilized jawbone of the new species was found alongside hundreds of other fossils, including a turtle with spike-like armor and an ancient frog relative.
Researchers found that the grinding stones were used to prepare porridge or gruel from early cereal grains, contradicting the assumption that they were used to grind flour for bread. The analysis of microscopic mineral plant remains and starch grains also revealed no evidence of cereals being ground.
A new study has uncovered a rare plant fossil with unusual flowers, fruits, and stems that does not belong to any living family or genus. The discovery suggests there may be more diversity in the fossil record of flowering plants than previously recognized.
Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of early plant farming in east Africa, revealing a pattern of gradual introductions of different crops that originated from different parts of the continent. The study found domesticated cowpea, sorghum, and finger millet seeds dating back to around 2,300 years ago.
Researchers establish a 400-million-year evolutionary history of euglenoids by comparing microfossil cysts from various time periods to living protists. The study resolves long-standing taxonomic confusion among fossilized remains, revealing a previously unknown ultrastructure.
New study reveals that kelp forests off the Pacific Coast were thriving 32 million years ago, with fossilized holdfasts showing evidence of ancient marine mammals and invertebrates. The discovery sheds light on the evolution of kelp ecosystems and highlights the importance of fossil hunting by amateur collectors.
Researchers have discovered the oldest known fossils of the Frankincense and Myrrh family in Indian chert, dating back to the Cretaceous period. The fossils were preserved in pyrenes, which are woody dispersal pods that protect seeds from digestion.
Scientists have discovered the first known Jurassic vertebrate fossils in Texas, filling a significant gap in the state's fossil record. The fossils belong to a plesiosaur, an extinct marine reptile that roamed the region about 150 million years ago.
A new fossil discovery in California has rewritten the scientific understanding of cycad plants, revealing a more dynamic evolutionary history than previously thought. The 80-million-year-old pollen cone found in Silverado Canyon is distinct from modern cycads, with differences in morphology and anatomy.
Scientists uncovered fossils of palm leaves, hydrangea flowers and extinct plants from the same family as basswood, providing clues about climate conditions 40 million years ago. The discovery sheds light on the warmer temperate to subtropical climate that existed in the area during the late Eocene era.
A fossil plant from California has shed light on the evolution of flowering plants, pushing back their origins by 80 million years. The discovery indicates that structurally complex rainforests may have existed as early as the Cretaceous period.
A new visual leaf library, developed by a Penn State-led team, provides a resource to help scientists recognize and classify plant leaves. The library contains 30,252 high-resolution images of cleared and fossilized leaves, allowing for rapid searching and comparison.
Researchers found ancient Ceratopetalum suciensis fossils on Sucia Island in Washington, prompting questions about how plants spread across the globe. The discovery suggests a biotic exchange between North America and South America-Antarctica during the Late Cretaceous.
A new study by CSIC researchers reconstructs the conditions under which humans first inhabited the Azores Islands, dating back to between 700 and 850 CE. The findings indicate that early human settlements led to environmental and ecological disturbance, contradicting historical records of pristine forests.
Paleobotanists describe two new genera of ancient conifers based on beautifully preserved fossil seed cones from the Upper Cretaceous of Hokkaido, Japan. The discovery sheds light on the diversity and decline of cunninghamioid conifers during the Cretaceous period.
A new fossil discovery in Panama's Los Boquerones town has revealed an ancient cashew relative with a lineage dating back over 30 million years. The find supports the hypothesis of tropical species migrating from Eurasia to North America during warmer climate periods.
The discovery of ancient plant fossils in South Africa provides insights into the greening of continents. The fossils, dated to 420-410 million years ago, include 15 species, three of which are new to science.
Researchers have shed new light on the sudden appearance of flowering plants, revealing a 45 million-year evolutionary history. Angiosperms colonized aquatic environments over three phases, with co-evolution with insects playing a vital role in their spread.
Despite extensive research, fossil pollen from Central and West Africa provides no definitive evidence for communities of rainforest trees at the beginning of the Cenozoic. Paleobotanist Bonnie F. Jacobs and her colleagues have mapped out the limited fossil record, which consists of only 82 sites, most dating back to 50 million years ago.
Peter Wilf, a renowned paleobotanist, has been awarded the prestigious Distinguished Speaker honor by the Paleontological Society. His research on ancient plants and terrestrial ecosystems will be showcased through three lectures, shedding light on biodiversity, climate change, and extinction.