Paleobotany (from the Greek words paleon = old and votany = plant) is the branch of paleontology dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use in the reconstruction of past environments. It shares some common ground with palynology (the study of spores and pollen) and is important in the reconstruction of prehistoric ecological systems, known as paleoecology.
Remains of vascular plants are found in the fossil record from the Silurian period onwards, although they did not become significant until the Late Devonian period. Some dispersed, fragmentary fossils of questionable origin (spores, "tubes", and cuticles) have also been found in rocks from the Ordovician Period. Plant-derived macrofossils include tree trunks, fronds, and roots.
See also: Kaspar Maria von Sternberg
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