Archives

One important group of Russian phytolith researchers works at Altai State University, located in harsh Siberia near the Altai Mountains, a region noted for its floristic diversity and archeology. Phytolith research at the Department of Botany was initially pursued in association with archaeological research projects. Kirill and Yuri Kiryushin performed the first phytolith studies at […]

Unveiling Ancient Climates with Phytoliths: Insights from the Kashmir Himalaya Dr Irfan Rashid – Department of Botany, University of Kashmir Temporal vegetation patterns provide key insights into past climatic shifts, and phytoliths are a powerful tool in uncovering these secrets. Researchers from Kashmir University have reconstructed vegetation dynamics during the last glacial period using phytolith assemblages […]

Main Research Morphology and formation To reveal phytolith morphology changes in the plant-soil system, the seasonal variations of dissolved Si and phytoliths in the plant-soil system were studied on a karst mountain. We found that the phytolith morphology, assemblage, occluded elements, and dissolved Si varied in the bamboo forest plant-soil system during the growing season. […]

The Russian Association of Phytolith Researchers (RAP) was founded in 2014 by Alexandra Golyeva and Denis Gavrilov. At the same time, a regional community website was created: https://www.фитолит.рф/ru/. The main goals of the RAP are: 1. Development of communication between phytolith researchers from various scientific organizations in Russia; 2. Sharing knowledge between individual scientific teams; […]

The main academic contributions achieved are reflected in the following three aspects: 1. Breakthroughs in paleoanimal diet and paleoecology research 1.1 Phytolith evidence reveals the origin of angiosperm leaf-eating habits among ancient Cretaceous birds Recently, a study published in Nature Communications focused on the feeding habits of an ancient bird called Jeholornis from China’s Early […]

Following our last post, this publication showcases more information about young Latin America scientists across the field of phytolith research, highlighting their ongoing work. Argentina Álvaro José Alavar – Universidad Nacional de Jujuy Research title: “Combustion technologies and assembled culinary practices. Archaeobotanical studies in the foothills of Jujuy at the beginning of the first millennium […]

India Dr Vivek Pandi – Manipal Centre for Natural Sciences (MCNS), Manipal Academy of Higher Education Research Title:  Spatial Distribution and Reliability of Grass Phytolith Assemblages Across Elevation and Vegetation Gradients in the Nilgiri Biogeographical Region, Western Ghats Assistant Professor: This study aims to examine the spatial distribution of grass phytolith assemblages in the soil […]

This post showcases the contributions of young scientists across Latin America in the field of phytolith research, highlights the ongoing work of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students of different courses, fostering knowledge exchange and building connections among researchers. Argentina Laura Carolina Vega – Universidad Nacional de Tucumán Research title: “Comparative studies between fractions of micro […]