|
Research Summary:
Structure, development and reproductive biology are among the most intriguing
facets of plant science. They
also provide some of the best sources of data for deciphering the phylogeny of
land plants. The paleobotany
program at Ohio University is focused on integrating these data from fossil
and living organisms to address questions about the evolution of terrestrial
organisms.
We work with the full range of available fossils from Devonian through
Tertiary deposits, and study specimens that show external morphology, internal
anatomy, and ultrastructural features. We collect material from all around the World, and focus our
efforts on developing whole-plant concepts for extinct species.
Studies typically lead to an understanding of external form, internal
anatomy, growth and development, reproductive mechanisms and embryogeny.
These whole-plant concepts allow us to include extinct species among living
species in cladistic analyses to decipher the overall phylogenetic pattern
within and among clades of terrestrial organisms.
Several
projects that can lead to published research are available for student
research studies. These
explore the origin of seed plants, relationships among ferns, and
relationships among major groups of land plants.
Selected References:
-
Rothwell,
G.W., L. Grauvogel-Stamm and G. Mapes. (1999).
An herbaceous fossil conifer: Gymnospermous ruderals in the evolution
of Mesozoic vegetation Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, in
press.
-
Lantz,
T.C., G.W. Rothwell, and R.A. Stockey.
(1999).
Conantiopteris schuchmanii, gen. et sp. nov., and the role of
fossils in resolving the phylogeny of Cyatheaceae s. l.
Journal of Plant Research, in press.
-
Rothwell,
G.W.
(1999).
Fossils and ferns in the resolution of land plant phylogeny.
Bot. Rev., in press.
-
Rothwell,
G.W. (1999).
Gnetophytes. Encyclopedia
of Paleontology, Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, in press.
-
Falder,
A.B., R.A. Stockey and G.W. Rothwell.
(1999).
In situ fossil seedlings of a Metasequoia-like taxodiaceous
conifer from Paleocene river floodplain deposits of central Alberta, Canada.
American Journal of Botany 86: 900-902.
|
