Palms of the past: can morphometric phytolith analysis inform deep time evolution and palaeoecology of Arecaceae?

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Palm fossils are often used as evidence for warm and wet palaeoenvironments, reflecting the affinities of most modern palms. However, several extant palm lineages tolerate cool and/or arid climates, making a clear understanding of the taxonomic composition of ancient palm communities important for reliable palaeoenvironmental inference. However, taxonomically identifiable palm fossils are rare and often confined to specific facies. Although the resolution of taxonomic information they provide remains unclear, phytoliths (microscopic silica bodies) provide a possible solution because of their high preservation potential under conditions where other plant fossils are scarce. We thus evaluate the taxonomic and palaeoenvironmental utility of palm phytoliths.

Meth

SUBMITTER: Brightly WH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11232524 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature