News

Dr. Li Rencheng’s Phytolith Research in Southwest China

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. […]

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The Russian Association of Phytolith Researchers

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; […]

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Dr. Yan Wu’s phytolith research in China

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 […]

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Latin American Youth in Phytolith Research – 2nd edition

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 […]

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Phytolith Research Insights from South Asia: Current Studies at Manipal Academy of Higher Education

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 […]

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ICPM: Inter- and intra- observer variation in phytolith morphometry

The International Committee on Phytolith Morphometry has published a new study on inter- and intra-observer variation in phytolith morphometry. Questions addressed include: how large is inter- and intra-observer variation, what are the causes, and how can such variation be overcome? Study findings are relevant for other fields of science that make use of morphometry. Following […]

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Latin American Youth in Phytolith Research: Students Making an Impact

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 […]

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Open Phytoliths – Open Science Skills Clinic

Are you struggling to put open science into practice? Would you like 1 to 1 help? Following on from our successful training workshops in 2023, we are offering personalised help sessions to assist phytolith researchers, and those in related fields, implement open science practices in their research projects. We can help with lots of different […]

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Latin America pioneers in phytolith studies share their journey and guidance for aspiring scientists

The efforts of Latin America’s pioneers in phytolith studies have led to groundbreaking discoveries and inspired a growing community of scientists. Their research has yielded profound insights into various environmental dynamics and human societies from the region. Today, they share their experience and advice for the next generation of researchers. Margarita Osterrieth PhD in Natural […]

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Dr. Houyuan Lu’s Phytolith Laboratory in Beijing, China

Laboratory Introduction: Established in the 1990s, the Phytolith Laboratory is China’s pioneering facility dedicated to phytolith research, equipped with advanced instruments for analysing pollen, phytoliths, calcium oxalate crystals, and starch grains. It houses an extensive collection of modern and fossil specimens and utilises sophisticated software for bio-fossil data processing, image analysis, paleoenvironmental quantification, and time […]

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