Understanding Fossil Phytolith Preservation
The Role of Partial Dissolution in Paleoecology and Archaeology
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23371406 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Dan Cabanes (0000-0001-6347-2513, Universitat de Barcelona, corresponding author), Ruth Shahack-Gro (0000-0001-8085-9381, Weizmann Institute of Science), Ruth Shahack-Gross |
| Editors | Karen Hardy |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | e0125532 |
| Publication date | 2015-05-20 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | PLoS ONE (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1932-6203 • E-ISSN: 1932-6203 |
| Publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0125532 |
| PMID | 25993338 |
| PMCID | PMC4439089 |
| OpenAlex | W2121943166 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 68 |
| References cited | 50 |
Opaline phytoliths are important microfossils used for paleoecological and archaeological reconstructions that are primarily based on relative ratios of specific morphotypes. Recent studies have shown that phytolith assemblages are prone to post-depositional alteration involving partial dissolution, however, the manner in which partial dissolution affects morphotype composition is poorly understood. Here we show that morphotype assemblages from four different plant species subjected to controlled partial dissolution are significantly different from the original assemblages, indicating that the stability of various morphotypes differs, mainly depending on their surface area to bulk ratios. This underlying mechanism produces distorted morphotype compositions in partially dissolved phytolith assemblages, bearing vast implications for morphotype-based paleoecological and archaeological interpretation. Together with analyses of phytolith assemblages from a variety of archaeological sites, our results establish criteria by which well-preserved phytolith assemblages can be selected for accurate paleoecological and archaeological reconstructions.
Archaeological record · Archaeology · Biology · Diagenesis · Dissolution · Geography · Paleoecology · Phytolith · Pollen · Taphonomy · Chemistry · Ecology · Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis · Geology · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Paleontology · Silicon Effects in Agriculture
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Do soil phytoliths accurately represent plant communities in a temperate region? A case study of Northeast China
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Site formation processes at Manot Cave, Israel
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Plant taphonomy, flora exploitation and palaeoenvironments at the Middle Stone Age site of Mwulu's Cave (Limpopo, South Africa)
Pen management and livestock activities based on phytoliths, dung spherulites, and minerals from Cova Gran de Santa Linya (Southeastern pre-Pyrenees)
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A microcontextual investigation of Later Stone Age ash deposits and associated interment of human remains at Faraoskop Rock Shelter, South Africa
Mesolithic hearth-pits and formation processes
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Subsistence economy in the Negev Highlands
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International Code for Phytolith Nomenclature 1.0
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Identification of teosinte, maize, and Tripsacum in Mesoamerica by using pollen, starch grains, and phytoliths
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Middle Stone Age Bedding Construction and Settlement Patterns at Sibudu, South Africa
Morphological Classification of Grass Phytoliths
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Phytolith morphology research on wild and domesticated rice species in East Asia
Palaeoecological significance of palms at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, based on phytolith remains
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Taphonomy of phytoliths and macroplants in different soils from Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) and the application to Plio-Pleistocene palaeoanthropological samples
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Grains of truth or transparent blindfolds? A review of current debates in archaeological phytolith analysis
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Human impact around settlement sites
Stability of phytoliths in the archaeological record
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An ethnoarchaeological study of cooking installations in rural Uzbekistan
Quantitative Phytolith Study of Hearths from the Natufian and Middle Palaeolithic Levels of Hayonim Cave (Galilee, Israel)
Plio–Pleistocene macroplant fossil remains and phytoliths from Lowermost Bed II in the eastern palaeolake margin of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
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Surfaces and streets
| Unique citing works | 68 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 6,18 |
| Citation span | 2015 - 2026 (12) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 66 |