Blog
News, research highlights and updates from
the International Phytolith Society.
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Leading Phytolith Research Hubs in South America
After an informal survey questionnaire with colleagues from South American countries such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay, we obtained some data that allows us to gain an understanding […]
Leading Brazilian Phytolith Laboratories and Researchers
As highlighted on the previous post, the growing Brazilian phytolith community accounts with a great web of scientists. Here, we compile a brief description of Brazil’s leading phytolith researchers and […]
Morphometric distinction between ACUTE BULBOSUS (silicified epidermal hair cells) from Panicum miliaceum and Setaria italica leaves
The taxomonic differentiation of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is of high relevance for archaeology and archaeobotany. The analysis of phytoliths from P. miliaceum and S. […]
Phytolith BD winner of Unraveling Comics IV
The scientific dissemination association Hablando de Ciencia and the Zaidín Experimental Station in Granada, Spanish National Research Council (EEZ-CSIC), in collaboration with the dissemination project Ciencia en Cómic, announce the […]
Dr. Dongmei Jie’s phytolith research team in northeast China
Professor Dongmei Jie, who works at Northeast Normal University in China, first read a paper related to phytolith analysis in 2005, which kindled a strong interest in pursuing phytolith research. […]
Phytolith research in Brazil: An Overview – Carolina Glaeser Benincá, IPS Web Envoy
Brazil is South America’s biggest country, covering nearly half of the continent’s landmass. Home to over 20% of Earth’s biodiversity, the country encompasses a vast array of landscapes and environments, […]
The 14th IMPR will be held July 14-19, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain
The 14th International Meeting on Phytolith Research will take place in Barcelona (Spain), at the Institució Milà i Fontanals de Recerca en Humanitats, Spanish National Research Council (IMF-CSIC), from the […]
Phytolith Research in Southeastern China – First Envoy Post by Xinxin Zuo
The aims of our studies using phytolith analysis are four-fold: 1. Archaeological and cultural aspects To determine how and when prehistoric agriculture emerged and spread in southeastern China and its […]