ClimateAugust 23, 2026

paleobotanists

PAY-lee-oh-bot-uh-nists

Definition

Scientists who study fossilized plants to understand the history of ancient ecosystems and climate conditions.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek 'palaios' (ancient), 'botane' (plant), and the suffix '-ist' (denoting a person who practices). It describes a specialist field combining geology and botany.

In the news

The author identifies as a paleobotanist, explaining how they and their colleagues use fossilized plant leaves to measure the density of forests from 56 million years ago.

Earth’s forests took 100,000 years to recover from the last climate shock — this one is moving 10 times faster

Read the full article ↗

Fortune

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