2026 in paleobotany

This paleobotany list records new fossil plant taxa that were announced or described during the year 2026, as well as notes other significant paleobotany discoveries and events which occurred during the year.

• Fossil evidence of persistence of multicellular algae belonging to the genus Wengania into the early Cambrian is reported from the Zhujiaqing Formation (Yunnan, China) by You, Shang & Liu (2026).^[3]
• Fossil algae with morphological similarities to Proterozoic and Cambrian vendotaenids are reported from the Ordovician Landeyran Formation (France) by Vayda, Birolini & Xiao (2026).^[4]
• Jeon et al. (2026) study the growth characteristics of Palaeoaplysina from the Permian (Asselian) strata of the Tyrrellfjellet Member of the Wordiekammen Formation (Svalbard, Norway), and interpret Palaeoaplysina as more likely to be an alga (probably a red alga) than a sponge or cnidarian.^[5]
• Zhao et al. (2026) link the displacement of green eukaryotic algae by phytoplankton groups whose plastids are derived from rhodophytes as the dominant marine phytoplankton in the early Mesozoic to structural characteristics of red lineage phytoplankton that enhanced their resistance to environmental reactive oxygen species.^[6]
• Evidence of changes of cellular structure of coralline algae from Meghalaya (northeast India) in response to environmental changes during the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum, resulting in the studied algae maintaining calcification in spite of high temperatures and acidification of surface waters, is presented by Melbourne, Sarkar & Schmidt (2026).^[7]

• A study on changes of distribution and on the evolutionary history of members of the genera Equisetites and Neocalamites in Europe, Central Asia and Siberia during the Early and Middle Jurassic is published by Frolov & Mashchuk (2026).^[16]

• Zhou et al. (2026) reconstruct the general morphology of Pagiophyllum maculosum on the basis of the study of the first fossil material reported from the Lower Jurassic strata in China.^[24]
• Taxonomic revision of coniferous woods from the Oligocene strata of the Petroșani Basin (Romania) is published by Călin, Popa & Pirnea (2026).^[25]

• Bellot et al. (2026) reconstruct the evolutionary history of palms on the basis of phylogeny of extant members of the group determined from data from nuclear genes and on the basis of the study of the fossil record of the group.^[28]

• Lu et al. (2026) study the fossil material of Nyssa sibirica from the Pliocene strata from the Yuxi Basin (Yunnan, China) and reconstruct the geographic distribution of tupelos throughout their evolutionary history, interpreting the species belonging to this genus as originating in warm and humid environments, with their distribution contracting as a result of climate cooling during the Neogene.^[35]
• González-Ramírez, Deanna & Smith (2026) reconstruct the evolutionary history of Solanaceae on the basis of data from extant and fossil taxa, reporting evidence of Late Cretaceous origin of the group.^[36]

• Velasco-Flores et al. (2026) report the discovery of stem fossils of Euphorbia canariensis from the Pleistocene (Chibanian) strata of the Diego Hernández Formation (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain), preserved in their original distribution as a result of volcanic eruption, and representing the first record of fossils attributed to this species.^[50]
• Lu et al. (2026) study the affinities of Albizia fossil leaflets from the Miocene strata from the Xiangyang Coal Mine (Yunnan, China), and interpret them as indicative of presence of ancestors of Albizia julibrissin in southwest China during or before the late Miocene.^[51]
• Ali et al. (2026) report the discovery of fossil material of cf. Backhousia sp. from the Eocene strata of the Palana Formation (India), representing the first fossil record a member of this genus outside Australia.^[52]

• A study on the morphology of the stem apex of Medullosa stellata, interpreted as indicative of presence of a complex vascular system, as well as indicating that members of Medullosales differed in stem development from the majority of extant seed plants, is presented by Portailler & Luthardt (2026).^[58]
• Jiang et al. (2026) interpret the morphology of Fengweioxylon sinense as consistent with the interpretation of the studied plant as an evergreen tree with a 3–5 year leaf retention period, growing in environment with warm summer conditions, and interpret the morphology of corystosperms as consistent with their placement as intermediate between gymnosperms and flowering plants.^[59]
• Xu et al. (2026) revise the cuticle structures of Pterophyllum crassinervum and confirms its taxonomic validity.^[60]
• Nosova & Zavialova (2026) provide new information on the anatomy of seeds of Allicospermum angrenicum from the Middle Jurassic Angren Formation (Uzbekistan), including evidence of preservation of pollen interpreted as suggestive of cycadalean affinities of the studied plant.^[61]
• Jiang et al. (2026) use stomatal parameters and carbon isotope composition of cuticles of Ginkgoites and Czekanowskia from the Yanan Formation (China) to reconstruct CO₂ concentrations, local temperature and elevation during the Aalenian, interpreted as consistent with the studied plants growing in a basin or low mountainous terrain with a warm, humid climate.^[62]

• Gutiérrez et al. (2026) study the composition of the first palynological assemblage recovered from the Permian (probably Lopingian) strata of the upper member of the La Golondrina Formation (Argentina), providing evidence of presence of a forest dominated by members of Glossopteridales, with undergrowth including ferns, sphenophytes, lycophytes and bryophytes.^[65]
• Evidence from the study of the palynological record from the Jiyuan Basin in the southern part of the North China Plate, indicative of four distinct phases of terrestrial vegetation transition across the Carnian pluvial episode that were temporally linked with indicators of volcanic activity and were accompanied by climate changes, is presented by Zhang et al. (2026).^[66]
• Sajjadi Hezaveh & Hashemi-Yazdi (2026) reconstruct the composition of the plant assemblage from the Triassic (Rhaetian) strata of the Qadir Member of the Nayband Formation (Iran) and the basis of the study of spores and pollen, intepreted as indicative of affinities of the studied flora with both floras from northern Gondwana and with ones from southern Laurasia.^[67]
• Rosin et al. (2026) study the composition of the palynological assemblages from the Westbury, Lilstock and Redcar Mudstone formations in the Cheshire Basin (United Kingdom), recording changes of composition of vegetation in response to environmental changes during the latest Triassic and Early Jurassic.^[68]
• Evidence from the study of palynological assemblages from the Upper Jurassic strata from the Binalud Mountains (Iran), indicative of increase in the abundance and diversity of warm-adapted cheirolepid conifers over time in response to a regional warming, is presented by Kalanat (2026).^[69]
• Carvalho et al. (2026) reconstruct the composition of Aptian assemblages of spore-producing plants from the south Atlantic margin and their responses to environmental changes at the time of the opening of the southern Atlantic Ocean on the basis of the study of palynological assemblages from eight Brazilian sedimentary basins.^[70]
• Evidence from the study of spores, pollen and microcharcoal abundances from Paleogene sediments from a hydrothermal vent crater in the North Atlantic Igneous Province on the Norwegian Margin and from other mid- and high latitude continental margins, indicative of rapid vegetation and soil disturbances in response to environmental changes at the onset of the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum resulting in widespread appearance of fern-dominated pioneer vegetation across mid- and high-latitude regions of the world, is presented by Nelissen et al. (2026).^[71]
• Raynaud et al. (2026) reconstruct the composition of the Eocene plant assemblage from the embrithopod-bearing Bultu-Zile site (Meryemdere Formation; Turkey) on the basis of the study of the freshwater-deposited palynoflora from the site, and interpreted as indicative of a swamp-freshwater environment.^[72]
• Evidence from the study of palynological assemblages from the Miocene El Chacay Formation (Argentina) indicative of increase in floral diversity during the early Burdigalian before the onset of the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum is presented by Tapia et al. (2026).^[73]
• Pound et al. (2026) study the Miocene (Serravallian) palynoflora from the Kenslow Member of the Brassington Formation (United Kingdom), interpreted as fossil record of plant growing in an area with an oceanic type climate with more rainfall during the summer than the winter (but with no pronounced dry season), and report evidence of impact of seasonal changes of availability of moisture on the composition of the studied Miocene forest.^[74]
• Li et al. (2026) report evidence from the study of the palynological record from the East China Sea continental shelf spanning the past 71,000 years indicative of presence of a cool, dry temperate grassland biome during the lowstand intervals (including the Last Glacial Maximum), as well as evidence of presence of an open-forest landscape during the milder conditions of the Marine Isotope Stage 3, and interpret their findings as supporting the interpretation of the exposed East China Sea continental shelf as a habitat facilitating the initial dispersal of early modern humans into East Asia.^[75]
• Evidence from the study of pollen record from eastern Nanling Mountains, indicative of impact of climate changes (and, since the late Holocene, human activities) on the composition of vegetation in the studied area during the last 46,000 years, as well as of existence of cool and humid refugia in subtropical China during the Last Glacial Maximum, is presented by Quan et al. (2026).^[76]

• Cai et al. (2026) report evidence of a shift in organic carbon to total phosphorus ratios in marine siliciclastic strata from approximately 455 million years ago, interpreted as likely linked to the spread of early land plants during the Ordovician.^[77]
• Lu et al. (2026) review evidence of impact of successive phases of plant terrestrialization on global coal accumulation.^[78]
• Evidence of widespread presence of diterpenoid-rich surface resins in cuticles of coal-forming plants from the Devonian (Givetian) strata of the Haikou and Hujiersite formations (China) is presented by Song et al. (2026).^[79]
• Meyer-Berthaud, Young & Decombeix (2026) document a new assemblage of Devonian (Frasnian) plants from the Hervey Group (New South Wales, Australia), similar in composition to Frasnian plant assemblages from south China.^[80]
• A study on the affinities of early gymnospermous seeds and their evolutionary history from the late Devonian to the late Permian is published by Bateman, Spencer & Hilton (2026).^[81]
• Santos et al. (2026) study the composition of the Permian plant assemblage from the Costela Mine locality (Pedra de Fogo Formation, Brazil) dominated by callipterid peltasperms, interpreted as indicative of biogeographic links with early Permian plant assemblages from Euramerica, and report evidence of plant-arthropod interactions and plant disease in fossils from the studied assemblage.^[82]
• Negri & Toledo (2026) review evidence of mutualistic relationships between insects and gymnosperms before the emergence of flowering plants.^[83]
• A diverse assemblage of plant cuticles and spores, providing evidence of presence of conifers, members of Peltaspermales and lycophytes, is reported from the Permian (Kungurian) strata from the Gorl locality in the Athesian Volcanic District (Italy) by Delfosse-Allain et al. (2026).^[84]
• Foster et al. (2026) provide estimates of height and mass of giant trees preserved as fossil logs from the Morrison Formation (western United States), and interpret the presence of these trees in western North America during the Late Jurassic as suggestive of long-term climatic cyclicity including both periods of arid conditions and periods of humid ones.^[85]
• A study on the composition of the Cenomanian plant assemblage from the strata of the Utrillas Group from the Algora area (Guadalajara, Spain) is published by Sender, Bueno-Cebollada & Pérez-García (2026).^[86]
• Greenwood & Conran (2026) review the fossil record of Cenozoic plants from the Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, Woomera and northern deserts region of South Australia.^[87]
• Allaby et al. (2026) reconstruct the environment of the Southern River system in southern Doggerland on the basis of sedimentological and sedimentary ancient DNA, and report evidence of presence of temperate trees indicative of presence of northern refugia during the early Mesolithic.^[88]
• Evidence from the study of modern leaves from swamp and river margins, indicating that studies that use fossil leaves as paleoclimate proxy and do not take into account the reduction of size of leaves from the surface litter and buried litter might result in underestimation of precipitation, is presented by Brown et al. (2026).^[89]