paleobotanists
Fossil flora experts
Paleobotanists are scientists who study fossilized plants and ancient plant life.
The field combines paleontology with botany, using preserved specimens to reconstruct prehistoric ecosystems and understand plant evolution: Paleobotanists discovered that flowering plants diversified rapidly during the Cretaceous period.
Preserved ancient organism traces
- specimensRepresentative items for examination
- pollenFloral reproductive grains
- sporesAsexual reproductive bodies
- cuticlesSkin at nail base
petrified · carbonized · impressions · compressions · microfossils · morphology · taxonomy · systematics
Coal-depositing geological period
- DevonianGeologic period, 419-359 million years ago
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- TriassicFirst Mesozoic period
Permian · Paleozoic · Mesozoic · Cenozoic · strata · sediments · coal beds · shale
Plants producing covered seeds
- gymnospermsSeed plants lacking ovaries
- fernsSpore-bearing vascular plants
- conifersCone-producing trees
- cycadsPrehistoric seed plants
Higher education community
- museumsInstitutions preserving cultural artifacts
- universitiesInstitutions granting advanced degrees
- laboratoriesFacilities for scientific investigation
- collectionsGathered groups of items
curation · microscopy · conferences · journals · expeditions · collaboration · grants · tenure
fossils
Preserved ancient organism traces
- specimensRepresentative items for examination
- pollenFloral reproductive grains
- sporesAsexual reproductive bodies
cuticles · petrified · carbonized · impressions · compressions · microfossils · morphology · taxonomy · systematics · phylogeny
Carboniferous
Coal-depositing geological period
- DevonianGeologic period, 419-359 million years ago
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
Triassic · Permian · Paleozoic · Mesozoic · Cenozoic · strata · sediments · coal beds · shale · amber
angiosperms
Plants producing covered seeds
- gymnospermsSeed plants lacking ovaries
- fernsSpore-bearing vascular plants
- conifersCone-producing trees
cycads · ginkgoes · horsetails · flowering plants · extinct species
academia
Higher education community
- museumsInstitutions preserving cultural artifacts
- universitiesInstitutions granting advanced degrees
- laboratoriesFacilities for scientific investigation
collections · curation · microscopy · conferences · journals · expeditions · collaboration · grants · tenure · dissertations
paleobotanistspaleoanthropologists
Scholars of ancient human species