Phytoliths as proxies of the past

“…Phytoliths are microscopic silica (opal) structures produced in and between the cells of plants. They occur in almost all plant tissue types and across all living plant clades, either as individual cell infillings or as wholly silicified tissue sections, constituting up to 10% of plant dry weight (Piperno 2006;Rashid et al, 2019). Phytoliths are very significant in taxonomical studies, and their long-term preservation in sediments makes them a useful tool in the reconstruction of ancient plant communities and plant-human interactions.…”

Section: Api ņ I C E M E T E R Ymentioning

confidence: 99%

Burial Practices at Lapiņi Curonian Cremation Cemetery, West Latvia, at the Close of the Iron Age and in the Middle Ages (12th–14th/15th Centuries)

Doniņa¹,

Stivriņš²,

Bērziņš³

2020

Archaeologia Baltica

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This article examines cremation cemeteries in west Latvia from the end of the Late Iron Age and the Middle Ages (12th-14th/15th centuries). During this period, cremation graves constituted the dominant burial form in the region. We have selected as a case study Lapiņi cemetery, which reveals additional details relating to cremation cemeteries of west Latvia. The aim of the article is to provide further insights into burials of this kind in the Baltic region, which correspond in time to the Curonian expansion in northwest Latvia, followed by the conquest by the Crusaders and the change of religion and burial practices in present-day Latvia. For a better understanding of the environmental conditions at the time of use of the cemetery, taxonomic analysis has been undertaken of the charcoal used as fuel for cremation, as well as an analysis of pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs from cremation graves. Lapiņi is so far the only Curonian cemetery in present-day Latvia where such analyses have been conducted. This has given us a new understanding of the funeral rituals performed on the burial site, and the formation process of cremation cemeteries.

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“…This redundancy could be overcome by improved taxonomic resolution using three-dimensional (3-D) morphology with relatively better resolution. (2) Overrepresentation of phytolith assemblages of grasses and the underrepresentation of low silica accumulator assemblages can sometimes lead us to a much-generalized conclusion of considering the flora just a woody species or grasses [263]. (3) Phytoliths that were deposited in soils/sediments are sometimes transported away from their site of original deposition by bioturbation and illuviation), leading to bias in sampling.…”

Section: Functions Of Phytolithsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytolith Formation in Plants: From Soil to Cell

Nawaz

Zakharenko

Zemchenko

et al. 2019

Plants

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Silica is deposited extra- and intracellularly in plants in solid form, as phytoliths. Phytoliths have emerged as accepted taxonomic tools and proxies for reconstructing ancient flora, agricultural economies, environment, and climate. The discovery of silicon transporter genes has aided in the understanding of the mechanism of silicon transport and deposition within the plant body and reconstructing plant phylogeny that is based on the ability of plants to accumulate silica. However, a precise understanding of the process of silica deposition and the formation of phytoliths is still an enigma and the information regarding the proteins that are involved in plant biosilicification is still scarce. With the observation of various shapes and morphologies of phytoliths, it is essential to understand which factors control this mechanism. During the last two decades, significant research has been done in this regard and silicon research has expanded as an Earth-life science superdiscipline. We review and integrate the recent knowledge and concepts on the uptake and transport of silica and its deposition as phytoliths in plants. We also discuss how different factors define the shape, size, and chemistry of the phytoliths and how biosilicification evolved in plants. The role of channel-type and efflux silicon transporters, proline-rich proteins, and siliplant1 protein in transport and deposition of silica is presented. The role of phytoliths against biotic and abiotic stress, as mechanical barriers, and their use as taxonomic tools and proxies, is highlighted.

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Phytoliths as proxies of the past

Cited by 52 publications

References 228 publications

Palaeobotanical experiences of plant diversity in deep time. 1: How well can we identify past plant diversity in the fossil record?

Palaeobotanical experiences of plant diversity in deep time. 1: How well can we identify past plant diversity in the fossil record?

Burial Practices at Lapiņi Curonian Cremation Cemetery, West Latvia, at the Close of the Iron Age and in the Middle Ages (12th–14th/15th Centuries)

Phytolith Formation in Plants: From Soil to Cell

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