paleobotaniikassa

Paleobotaniikka, the scientific study of fossil plants, examines the history and evolution of plant life on Earth. It combines methods from botany, geology, and paleontology to interpret plant remains such as leaves, stems, reproductive structures, and wood. By analysing these fossils, researchers reconstruct past climates, ecosystems, and biogeographic patterns, revealing how plant communities responded to events like mass extinctions and tectonic shifts.

Key data sources include macrofossils, which are visible plant parts, and microfossils such as pollen and spores preserved in sedimentary rocks. The morphological features of these fossils, along with chemical signatures and isotopic ratios, provide insights into ancient plant physiology and environmental conditions. Modern imaging techniques, like synchrotron scanning and 3D reconstruction, allow scientists to study internal structures without damaging specimens.

Paleobotaniikka has uncovered major evolutionary milestones: the transition from non-vascular to vascular plants, the emergence of seed plants during the Devonian, and the dominance of angiosperms in the Cenozoic. It also informs climate science, as the distribution of ancient plant taxa serves as proxies for temperature and atmospheric composition. Furthermore, understanding past vegetation dynamics assists in predicting plant responses to current climate change.

The discipline is inherently interdisciplinary, collaborating with palaeoclimatologists, geochemists, and modelers to integrate plant data into broader Earth-system studies. Its findings contribute to fields such as evolutionary biology, ecology, and paleoclimatology, enriching our knowledge of life's long-term history on the planet.