Why do some plants grow tiny glass-like structures called phytoliths? New research by @jehovalourenco.bsky.social reveals that monocots evolved this trick twice - and some later dropped it. A story of convergent evolution, loss, an cellular creativity 🧪 doi.org/10.1002/ajb2...

Today we concluded the 14th International Meeting on Phytolith Research in Barcelona after six amazing days of workshops, presentations, and great people. Looking forward to the next meeting in São Paulo, Brazil!

🌾Almost ready for the next International Meeting on Phytolith Research!!

We took a break to visit El Yunque National Rainforest. It's also impressive how the forest has recovered from the devastating Hurricane Maria.

We're back in Puerto Rico to continue our archaeological work at Caguana! Over the past months, we've processed some of the sediment samples with great results. Now it’s time to dive into lab work and take a closer look at materials from one of the most promising excavation units.🌿🏺🔬

🚨New paper alert🚨 Adding ‘flavour’ to past cuisines: First steps towards a phytolith reference collection of modern Mediterranean herbs🌿 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

🚨Check out the "Ethics in Archaeobotany" questionnaire 🚨—open until January 17, 2025! 👀 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

🚨Paper alert 🚨 Third paper in what has been a very productive year. Check it out to learn more about microbotanical remains in dental calculus and oral health in Neolithic Anatolia 🦷🔬 link.springer.com/article/10.1...