palaeobotanical

Palaeobotanical refers to the study of fossil plants and plant history. Palaeobotany investigates the evolution of terrestrial flora through geological time, including the origin of land plants, plant physiology inferred from fossils, and plant–environment interactions. The term covers fossil plant specimens and reconstructions of ancient ecosystems. Researchers examine macrofossils (leaves, stems, wood, seeds, fruits) and microfossils (pollen, spores, cuticles) to understand past floras.

Key methods combine field collection with stratigraphic control, taxonomic description, and interpretation of plant structures. Microfossils are studied in palynology; macrofossils in detailed morphology. Imaging and analyses—scanning electron microscopy, X-ray micro-CT, and isotopic analyses of fossil wood—aid interpretation. Dating relies on stratigraphy, radiometric methods, and correlations with dated assemblages. Taphonomy and diagenesis shape recoverable material and interpretation.

Geological coverage ranges from the Silurian to later floras, including the early vascular plant Cooksonia and Carboniferous forests of Lepidodendron, Sigillaria, and Calamites. Palaeobotany informs biostratigraphy, paleoclimatology, and paleoecology by tracing plant evolution, ecosystem structure, and the history of coal, oil, and gas formation. Isotopic data and stomatal indices from fossils contribute to reconstructions of past CO2 levels and climates.

History and scope: Palaeobotany emerged as a distinct field in the 19th century within geology and botany and has since integrated plant morphology and geochronology. Today it combines plant data with paleoclimate, paleoecology, and earth history to illuminate how terrestrial flora has shaped and responded to changing environments.