Plant macrofossil
Definition
A plant fragment large enough to be seen with the naked eye or low magnification: leaves, seeds, bark pieces, root fragments. Macrofossils are identified by gross morphology and surface microstructure, and they can link a body or object to a burial site or contact location.
Related terms
- Diatom
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- Forensic palynology
- The application of pollen and spore analysis to legal investigations. A forensic palynologist identifies the species composition of pollen assemblages from crime-scene...
- Pollen assemblage
- The full complement of pollen and spore types recovered together from a sample, characterised by species identity and relative abundance. Assemblages are...
- Secondary transfer
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- Wood anatomy
- The microscopic cellular structure of wood, including vessel arrangement, ray type, fibre dimensions, and parenchyma distribution. These features are species-specific and form...
Explained in
- Botanical Evidence: An OverviewA plant fragment large enough to be seen with the naked eye or low magnification: leaves, seeds, bark pieces, root fragments. Macrofossils are identified by gr...