Palaeobotanist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A scientist dedicated to exploring ancient plant life through fossils seeks to uncover the evolutionary relationships and environmental influences of past flora
2. This individual specializes in assessing fossilized vegetation to reveal the history and diversity of plants throughout geological eras
3. A professional who studies the remains of ancient plants helps to understand the evolution of flora and the environmental conditions that prevailed in different geological periods

Etymology: The word is a compound: "palaeo-", from Ancient Greek "palaiós" meaning "old, ancient" (itself from "pálai," long ago), joined to "botanist." So a palaeobotanist is, quite literally, a specialist in ancient plants. The "palaeo-" element is a combining form used widely in scientific coinages, and it appears in English alongside related terms like "palaeontology." The "-ist" ending comes through Latin "-ista" and Old French "-iste," and it marks a person who practises or studies something. "Botanist" itself is built from Greek "botanē," meaning "plant" or "herb," with the same agent suffix. Combining the two gives a name that openly announces its scope: the botanist of the old world, the one who reads plants from rock rather than from living fields.