Biology 555: Paleobotany
Tuesday-Thursday 9:30-10:45 , Wilson 202
Instructor: Dr. Patricia G. Gensel, Coker 403
Telephone: 919-962-6937, email: pgensel@bio.unc.edu
Text: Willis, K.J. and J.C. McElwain, 2014.The Evolution of Plants. 2nd ed. Oxford Press.
(WMc) Also become acquainted with Stewart and Rothwell, 1993 (SR) and Taylor, Taylor
and Krings, 2010 (TTK). Readings will be assigned and provided, probably as pdfs.
Goals of the course: A major goal is to acquaint you with evidence of the past history of
plant groups and floras, including the existence and nature of now-extinct plant types (over 90
% of all species that ever lived are extinct). Using this evidence, I hope we can develop an
understanding of how the fossil record is used as a means of measuring the history of
evolutionary changes, its usefulness in understanding the phylogenetic relationships of plants,
as well as its applicability to paleoecology and climate reconstruction, stratigraphy and
biogeography. Also, you will obtain a background which will enable you to read
paleontological literature, particularly about plants, and critically evaluate interpretations or
conclusions made from fossils. Some broader paleobiological issues, such as extinctions, past
climates and climate changes, coevolution/ plant-animal interactions, and paleoecology will
be incorporated as we examine the evolutionary history of various plant groups.
Some basic information: 1. We will consider how fossils are preserved and prepared, how
analysed, and what has been learned as well as what remains unknown. You should be able
to understand how to interpret remains, critically examine examples of major plant types from
different periods of geologic time and interpret their significance. You will be able to “read”
coal balls and identify certain fossil plant types.
2. The assigned readings are designed to provide essential background information or papers
that deal with issues such as problems in analysis of particular fossils or questions, extinction
in the plant fossil record, factors influencing evolution, or “classic” accounts of floras, major
evolutionary events, etc. Be prepared to discuss, think critically and question.. You should
take good notes in any lecture, discussion, or about other students’ presentations.
Any posted powerpoints represent only part of the information needed to do well in this
course.
3. Projects: Project 1: The Rhynie Chert lagerstat as a window on an
Handout
early terrestrial landscapewww.unimuenster.de/GeoPalaeontologie/Palaeo/Palbot/erhynie.html
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/rhynie/
There are other resources and websites
Project 2: Extinctions
4. There will be 3 lecture exams, each = 40 points, plus one final exam = 60 points. The final
will be cumulative. There also will be two projects at 15 pts each, designed to tie together
some of the information obtained from fossils and illustrate the variety of ways questions can
be asked once the record is known. Your final grade is determined by dividing the points
earned by maximum points possible (170 points).
The percentage scale I employ is close to: A=90% or above, B=80% or above, C=70 %or
above, D=62%or above. Sometimes there is some final scaling of grades, but this gives you
an estimate of the minimum grade you may have earned.
Other books we will often refer to:
Niklas, 1997. The Evolutionary Biology of Plants, U. Chicago Press
Kenrick and Crane, 1997. The origin and early diversification of land plants. Smithsonian
Press. (KC)
Graham, A., 1999. Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic history of North American Vegetation.
Oxford University Press.
Graham, A. 2011. A Natural History of the New World. U. Chicago Press.
SCHEDULE: not all reading assignments are included- more soon!.
Materials will be posted either via Sakai, or on a course website
“The professor reserves to right to make changes to the syllabus, including project due dates
and test dates (excluding the officially scheduled final examination), when unforeseen
circumstances occur. These changes will be announced as early as possible so that students
can adjust their schedules.”
Lecture Schedule__________________
BEFORE the lecture)
__
_Assigned Reading_(Read
Wk1. Aug. 19 Background- why study fossils? Overview of
major events in the fossil record. Major plant
groups, Deposition, fossilization of plants and
preservation types.
WMc ch. 1
TTK, ch. 1(pdf),
Aug. 21
Readings- see web
project 1
Do BEFORE CLASS
Continued. Also discuss readings about
geological time, how rocks are dated and
and correlated, evolutionary considerations
Wk2. Aug 26 Basic features of living plants useful
in understanding fossil plants: vegetative
Bold, ch. 13 (pdf)
Aug. 28
Plant reproductive features
Wk3. Sep 2
Earliest forms of life- not plants, but microbes
WMc ch. 2; other
reading
Sep 4
Origin of land plants: some basic considerations,
Gensel, 2008;
Wellman and Gray, 2000
Wk4. Sep 9
Radiation of early plants, innovations in
plant structure; Early Devonian
WMc, Ch 3;
Kenrick and Crane, 1997
Sep 11
What are spores and pollen grains and how do they
relate to studies of plant evolution?
Wk5 Sep 16
Lycopsid evolution, a separate lineage from
early in time; but forests in the Carboniferous
Sep 18
Exam 1: First lecture through spores and pollen grains
Wk6 Sep 23
Middle-Late Devonian plants- cladoxyls, iridopterids
WMc, Ch 4,
Sep 25
Earliest forests; what makes a tree? Late DevonianCarboniferous vegetation and climate
assigned
reading
Wk7 Sep 30
Origin and evolution of sphenopsids
Oct 2
Fossil ferns- when originate, what are they like?
Wk8 Oct7
Fossil ferns, including Mesozoic ones
as above
Oct 9
Progymnosperms, secondary xylem, trees again
WMc, ch 4;
Wk9 Oct 14
Evolution of seed plant reproduction and early
seed plant groups.
WMc, ch
Oct 16
Fall Break
Assigned reading
WMc, ch 3, 4, pp
Gensel/Berry 2001
Pigg 2001
WMc, Ch 4,
Assigned reading
Rothwell & Stockey
20??
Wk10 Oct 21 Late Paleozoic seed plants- lyginopterids, medullosans
Oct 23
WMc, Ch 5
Cycads, Bennettitaleans- mostly Mesozoic seed plants
Wk11 Oct 28 Exam 2: Lycopsids through Early Seed plants
Oct 30
Other Mesozoic seed plants, Ginkgos, Glossopterids, Caytonialeans
Many of these are extinct today
Wk12 Nov 4 Conifers and Cordaites
WMc Ch 5,
Cont’d
Nov 6
Conifers become modern, Mesozoic floras
WMc, Ch 6,
Assigned reading
Wk13 Nov 11 Origin and Early radiation of angiosperms:
Basics, leaves, pollen
assigned reading
Nov 13
Angiosperms, cont’d Cretaceous-Tertiary
boundary*
Wk14 Nov 18 Tertiary floras, approaches*, floras
Nov 20
WMc, Ch 6
WMc ch 7
assigned
readings
Tertiary floras, whole plants, climates*
Wk15Nov 25 Tertiary floras, biogeography*,
Nov 27
THANKSGIVING
Wk16 Dec 2
How the modern vegetation evolved- late
Tertiary-Pleistocene-present*
assigned
readings
assigned
readings
Written Final Exam: Fri., Dec. 9, 8 AM
*I will probably develop this as a group project and discussion.
Biology 555 Laboratory in Paleobotany
Lab meets Thursday, 1:30-4:30 PM, 140 Wilson, unless otherwise indicated
1. There is one three hour lab per week, and the lab exercises are designed provide direct
experience in preparation, analysis and identification of plant fossils. A course pack for
Biology 555 Laboratory is available at Student Stores and provides important guidance for lab
exercises. Please read the material about a given lab PRIOR to coming to lab. Integrate
what you learn in lecture with that you learn in lab.
2. I plan 2 field trips to collect fossils. At least one will be a day trip to the Triassic deposits
near Sanford, NC, where a variety of plants can be found. The second is either a day, or an
overnight trip, to Virginia, to sample Lower Carboniferous localities. Both will be part of a
weekend.
A possible third or alternative trip will be a day trip in North Carolina,, probably to
the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science to look at museum curation and use of fossils.
These trips will provide important insight into aspects of paleobotany and we will use
materials collected to practice techniques and analyses. Dates to be determined.
A summary of each of these experiences will be required and graded (30 pts total).
Details will be given at the time of each trip.
3. Lab quizzes worth 10—15 pts each will be given every two weeks on the previous two
labs, for a total of 100 points. Your final lab grade will be based on the number of points
earned out of 130. A letter grade will be based on the following APPROXIMATE scale: A=
90-100%, B= 80-90%, C= 70-80%, D= 60-70%, F= less than 60 %.
LABORATORY PROCEDURE
Distinctive to paleontology is that quite often only a single specimen, or a very few
specimens, of a fossil plant or animal are found or are available for your study. One cannot
always collect what one wants nor can very much be ordered from biological supply houses.
Some specimens are obtained by exchange. Often, we will have to use images from papers
extensively, and especially reconstructions. When both are available, you will want to
consider how well the images reflect what the specimens show. Image collections on the
internet are increasing and aid in supplementing individual collections, but quality of image,
and accuracy in identification, varies. Look for some of these. The UCMP Berkeley website,
including the Paleontology Portal, is an excellent resource:
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/index.php. BEWARE OF MIS-IDENTIFIED
FOSSILS ON THE INTERNET.
When sketches or diagrams are called for (and you should always make a record of what you
have observed in lab), always record whatever information is available concerning the
following: the classification of the fossil plant, the geographical and geological origin, plus its
age in terms of geological time. MAKE DRAWINGS, PREFERABLY ON UNLINED
PAPER- they help you evaluate critically. ALSO, I have designed the lab manual so you can
include drawings there.
Appropriate specialized literature will be available in the lab that illustrates or interprets the
plants being studied. Use these in conjunction with your study of the specimens to obtain as
much information about them as possible and record such references in your lab notes.
Unless otherwise indicated you do not have to read them completely but should look at the
parts indicated.
Even though several specimens of a particular plant may be available for study they will often
reveal different aspects of it. Observe several specimens if they are available and collaborate
freely with your fellow students.
Lab materials will be placed in the large oak cabinet in 140 Wilson upon completion of labs
and thus will still be available for review for one to two weeks. If they have to be put away,
arrangements will be made for access to the collections before lab quizzes. I encourage you
to bring your computers to lab (and class if you want).
This is intended as an approximate guide to the laboratory studies. Other materials may be
introduced when it seems appropriate to do so and some that are noted may be deleted. More
detailed instructions will be given at the start of each lab period.
A resource for techniques: Jones, T. P. and N. P. Rowe. 1999. Fossil Plants and Spores:
modern techniques. The Geological Society, London.
Lab Schedule
Week 1: Lab 1: Introduction to living groups of plants, preservation types, preparation
techniques for fossils
Week 2: Lab 2: Overview of basic plant structures, plant groups
Week 3: Complete Lab 2; Lab 1A- Precambrian organisms; Lab 3, first part: Remains of
earliest plants
Week 4: Finish Lab 3: Early vascular plants; Rhynie Chert project discussion
Week 5: Lab 4- Palynology, start Lab 5- Lycopsid Evolution
Week 6. Finish Lab 5, Lab 6, Early-Middle Devonian plants with different architecture
Week 7: Lab 7- Sphenopsids; Lab 8- Ferns (start)
Week 8: finish Lab 8, Lab 9-Progymnosperms and earliest ovules
Week 9: Fall Break- no lab
Week 10: Lab 10- Gymnospermous seed plants, Lyginopterids, Medullosans
Week 11: Lab 12- Fossil cycadophytes; Lab 13- Other Mesozoic seed plants
Week 12: Lab 11- Early coniferalean gymnosperms- cordaites, early conifers
Week 13: Lab 14- Angiosperm features- leaves and pollen
Week 14: Lab 15- Angiosperm evolution and Tertiary floras and climates