Taxonomic nomenclature of plant fossils

Current projects

An example of the sort of nomenclatural problems that occur with plant fossils. A late Carboniferous horsetail that can produce fossils assignable to at least five different fossil taxa. Drawn by C. Cleal.

C. Cleal is a member of the Fossil Plant Committee of the International Association for Plant Taxonomy.

Past projects in this research area

C. Cleal (in collaboration with Prof. Barry Thomas, Aberystwyth University) was responsible for instigating significant changes in how taxa of plant fossils are names, which bare to be incorporated into the forthcoming International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants.