How does naming a plant work?

We use binomial nomenclature. A plant is identified by Genus + species. The Genus is written with a capital and in italics. The species is not written with a capital but still in italics (hand-written, with a streep eronder). Family ends with -aceae

What is a taxon?

A taxonomic group/rank. E.g. family, genus and species are all taxa. Singular: Taxon, plural: taxa

How can plant macrofossil data be presented?

A) presence/absence -> you simply record whether a taxon is found. B) Quantitative data -> you record how many remains or what percentage they represent (This gives you information about abundance).

What are percentage diagrams? And what are the problems?

Shows the percentage of different plant taxa through a sediment profile. Problems: A) What should be included in the macrofossil sum? B) Some plants can be over-represented, waterplants preserve better. Some plants naturally produce a huge number of seeds.

How do you interpret plant macrofossil data?

1. Taxonomy; level of identification matters 2. Exotic taxa; an exotic taxon is a plant found in the fossil assemblage that is not part of the modern local vegetation. 3. Extinct taxa; the plant might have disappeared since the archaeological period. 4. Plant ecology; plant fossils can act as a proxy for past environments. Proxy is something we use as evidence for something we cannot directly observe.

What is taphonomy?

The processes that happen to biological remains from the time they are produced until they become part of a fossil/archaeological assemblage.

What is the taphonomic process?

1. Living plant 2. production of seed/leaves etc. 3. potential macrofossils 4. dispersal 5. biological and physical sorting 6. deposition 7. fossil/archaeological assemblage

What are the advantages of macrofossils reconstruction?

Often identified to species level -> precise ecological/environmental information. Usually not transported far -> remains represent nearby vegetation -> good for reconstructing local environments.

What are the disadvantages of macrofossils reconstruction?

Limited transport -> not good for regional vegetation reconstruction. Macrofossils are produced in relatively small quantities. Concentrations of macrofossils can differentiate through a profile.

What is ethnobotany?

The study of how people of a particular culture and region make use of indigenous plants.