Whole-plant reconstructions in fossil angiosperm research

There have been many recent advances in angiosperm paleobotany based on studies of reproductive organs, but it remains important that whole-plant concepts not be neglected. Reconstructions of whole fossil plants based on foliage, fruits, seeds, flowers, pollen in situ, and wood are not always easy, but where done well they often yield important new insights. The most convincing whole-plant reconstructions are accomplished when organs that are normally found separately are found attached. Such occurrences are relatively rare. The repeated co-occurrence of dispersed organs that share anatomical features provides another acceptable line of evidence for reconstructions. However, mere co-occurrence, particularly in the case of extinct lineages, provides less-convincing evidence. An important way to connect dispersed pollen and macrofossils is the study of pollen in situ. Several examples from Platanaceae, Fagaceae, Cercidiphyllaceae, Malvaceae s.l., and Cucurbitaceae show the importance of whole-plant approaches for evolutionary and other interpretations.