Glossopteris is a fossil plant group distributed widely among the southern continents. Paleobotanists have studied the remains of this plant genus in detail, but have never brought together the disparate observations of leaves, seeds, and wood anatomy. Dr. Kathleen Pigg has located mineralized specimens wherein different parts of individual plants have been preserved in association. Careful study of these fossils may illuminate the anatomy of the Glossopteris plant as a whole. Reconstructing the anatomy of Glossopteris species will have wide impact. In addition to clarifying the confused taxonomy and classification of disassociated plant parts, this research will document the nature of stem-leaf connections, and the vein systems of individual leaves. These anatomical features are critical to our understanding of this important plant group, and will offer a new window into its place in the evolution of gymnosperms and the origin of flowering plants.
