Thomas N. Taylor - Paleobiology
Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor
Curator of Paleobotany - Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center
Courtesy Professor, Department of Geology
Ph.D., University of Illinois
Phone: (785) 864-3625; (785) 864-5501
Fax: (785) 864-5860
Classes Taught
Biol. 802 - The Art of Becoming a Professional Scientist
Biol. 640 - Biology and Evolution of Fossil Plants
Biol. 641 - Laboratory in Paleobotany
Awards and Honors
Member - National Academy of Sciences
Member - National Science Board (2006-2012)
Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor
Humboldt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists
Higuchi Research Achievement Award in the Basic Sciences in Kansas
Distinguished Scholar Award - Ohio State University
Area of Interest and Research
- Paleobiology and paleoecology of Antarctic fossil biotas
- Biology and interactions of fossil fungi
- Symbioses
- Structure and function in fossil plants
- Reproductive biology in early land plants
- Origin and evolution of land plants
- Living and fossil pollen, spores, and cuticle ultrastructure
- Interactions of fossil plants and animals
- Pollen/stigma interactions
- Angiosperm origins
Representative Publications
- 2009
- Microfungi from the late Visean (Mississippian) of central France: Chytridiomycota and chytrid-like remains of uncertain affinity. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. (M. Krings, N. Dotzler, J. Galtier, and T.N. Taylor). (in press)
- 2009
- Secondary growth in Vertebraria roots from the Late Permian of Antarctica: A change in developmental timing. Intl. J. of Plant Sci. (A.-L. Decombeix, E.L. Taylor, and T.N. Taylor). (in press)
- 2009
- Globicultrix nugax nov. gen. et nov. spec. (Chytridiomycota), an intrusive microfungus in fungal spores from the Rhynie chert. Zitteliana A. (M. Krings, N. Dotzler, and T.N. Taylor). (in press)
- 2009
- Modern traits in early Mesozoic sphenophytes: the Equisetum-like cones of Spaciinodum collinsonii with in situ spores and elaters from the Middle Triassic of Antarctica. In: C.T. Gee (Ed.) Life of the Past. The Mesozoic Flora, Indiana University Press. (A. Schwendemann, T.N. Taylor, E.L. Taylor, M. Krings, and J.M. Osborn). (in press)
- 2009
- The Career of Ted Delevoryas: Appreciation and Publications. In: C.T. Gee (Ed.) Life of the Past. The Mesozoic Flora, Indiana University Press. (T.N. Taylor, E.L. Taylor, and C.P. Daghlian). (in press)
- 2009
- Morenostrobus, a new substitute name for Morenoa (Del Fueyo, Archangelsky and Taylor 1990, non La Llave et Lexarza 1824). Taxon (G.M. Del Fueyo, S. Archangelsky, and T.N. Taylor). (submitted)
- 2009
- An enigmatic microorganism from the Upper Pennsylvanian Grand’Croix cherts (Saint-Ètienne basin, France). Zitteliana (M. Krings, T.N. Taylor, and J. Galtier). (submitted)
- 2009
- Acaulosporoid glomeromycotan spores with a germination shield from the 400-million-year-old Rhynie chert. Mycol. Progress. 8: 9–18 (N. Dotzler, C. Walker, M. Krings, H. Hass, H. Kerp, T.N. Taylor, and R. Agerer).
- 2009
- Endophytic cyanobacteria in a 400-million-yr-old land plant: A scenario for the origin of symbiosis? Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 153: 62–69 (M. Krings, H. Hass, H. Kerp, T.N. Taylor, R. Agerer, and N. Dotzler).
- 2009
- Morphology and Ecology of the Antarcticycas plant. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 153: 108–123. (E.J. Hermsen, E.L. Taylor, and T.N. Taylor).
- 2008
- Combresomyces cornifer nov. gen. et sp., an endophytic peronosporomycete in Lepidodendron from the Carboniferous of central France. Mycol. Research 112: 1107–1114. (N. Dotzler, M. Krings, R. Agerer, J. Galtier, and T.N. Taylor).
- 2008
- Development and ecological implications of dormant buds in the high-paleolatitude Triassic sphenophyte Spaciinodum (Equisetaceae). Amer. J. Bot. 95: 143–153. (P.E. Ryberg, E.J. Hermsen, E.L. Taylor, and T.N. Taylor).
- 2008
- Seed ferns from the late Paleozoic and Mesozoic: Any angiosperm ancestors lurking there? Amer. J. Bot. 96: 237–251. (E.L. Taylor and T.N. Taylor).
- 2008
- Pollen of the Triassic cycad Delemaya spinulosa and implications of cycad evolution. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. Online: doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2008.08.002. (A. Schwendemann, T.N. Taylor, and E.L. Taylor).
- 2008
- Combresomyces cornifer from the Triassic of Antarctica: Evolutionary stasis in the Peronosporomycetes. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. Online: doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2008.11.003. (A.B. Schwendemann, T.N. Taylor, E.L. Taylor, M. Krings, and N. Dotzler).
- 2007
- Paleobotany. In: McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology. 10th ed. (pp 704-709).
- 2007
- The “New Approach to Corystospermales” and the Antarctic Fossil Record: A Critique. Ameghiniana 44(1): 223–230. (B.J. Axsmith, E.L. Taylor, and T.N. Taylor).
- 2007
- A voltzialean pollen cone from the Triassic of Antarctica. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 144(3-4): 113–122. (E.J. Hermsen, T.N. Taylor, and E.L. Taylor).
- 2007
- Cycads from the Triassic of Antarctica: Permineralized cycad leaves. Intl. J. Plant Sci. 168(7): 1099–1112. (E. Hermsen, T.N. Taylor, E.L. Taylor, and D.W. Stevenson).
- 2007
- Secondary phloem anatomy of Cycadeoidea (Bennettitales). Amer. J. Bot. 94(5): 791–798. (P.E. Ryberg, E.L. Taylor, and T.N. Taylor).
- 2007
- Fungal endophytes in a 400-million-yr-old land plant: infection pathways, spatial distribution, and host responses. New Phytologist 174(3): 648–657. (M. Krings, T.N. Taylor, H. Hass, H. Kerp, N. Dotzler, and E.J. Hermsen).
- 2007
- An alternative mode of early land plant colonization by putative endomycorrhizal fungi. Plant Signaling & Behavior 2(2): 126–126. (M. Krings, T.N. Taylor, H. Hass, H. Kerp, N. Dotzler, and E.J. Hermsen).
- 2007
- A filamentous cyanobacterium showing structured colonial growth from the Early Devonian Rhynie chert. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol 146: 265–276. (M. Krings, H. Kerp, H. Hass, T.N. Taylor, and N. Dotzler).
- 2007
- Ovule-bearing reproductive organs of the glossopterid seed ferns from the Late Permian of the Beardmore Glacier Region, Antarctica. In: A.K. Cooper, C.R. Raymond, et al (Eds.) Antarctica: A Keystone in a Changing World-Online Proceedings of the 10th ISAES (International Symposium on Antarctica Earth Sciences), U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 2007-1047, Short Research Paper 082; doi: 10.3133/of2007-1047.srp082 (E.L. Taylor, T.N. Taylor and P.E. Ryberg).
- 2007
- Perissothallus, a new genus for Late Pennsylvanian-Early Permian non-calcareous algae conventionally assigned to Schizopteris (aphleboid foliage). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 153: 477–488. (M. Krings, S.D. Klavins, M. Barthel, S. Lausberg, R. Serbet, T.N. Taylor, and E.L. Taylor).
- 2007
- A microfungal assemblage in Lepidodendron from the upper Viséan (Carboniferous) of central France. Comptes Rendus Palevol 6: 431–436. (M. Krings, N. Dotzler, T.N. Taylor, and J. Galtier).
- 2007
- A prasinophycean alga of the genus Cymatiosphaera in the Early Devonian Rhynie chert. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 147: 106–111. (N. Dotzler, T.N. Taylor, and M. Krings).
- 2006
- On a new Medullosan pollen organ from the Pennsylvanian of North America. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 142: 219–227. (R. Serbet, T.N. Taylor, and E.L. Taylor).
- 2006
- Cataphylls of the Triassic cycad Antarcticycas schopfii and new insights into cycad evolution. Amer. J. Bot. 93: 724–738. (E.J. Hermsen, T.N. Taylor, E.L. Taylor, and D.W. Stevenson).
- 2006
- Hassiella monospora nov. gen. et sp., a microfungus from the 400 million year old Rhynie chert. Mycol. Research 110:628-632. (T.N. Taylor, M. Krings, and H. Kerp).
- 2006
- Germination shields in Scuttellospora (Glomeromycota: Diversisporales, Gigasporaceae) in the 400 million-year-old Rhynie chert. Mycol. Progress 5: 178–184. (N. Dotzler, M. Krings, T.N Taylor, and R. Agerer).
- 2006
- Frond architecture of Odontopteris brardii (Pteridospermopsida,? Medullosales): new evidence from the Upper Pennsylvanian of Missouri, U.S.A. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 133: 33–45. (M. Krings, S.D. Klavins, T.N. Taylor, E.L. Taylor, R. Serbet, and H. Kerp).
- 2006
- The Mesozoic seed ferns: old paradigms, new discoveries. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 133: 62–82. (E.L. Taylor, T.N.Taylor, H. Kerp, and E.J. Hermsen).
Current and Recent Graduate Students
Andrew B. Schwendermann – current
Juan Massini-Garcia – PhD program at Southern Methodist University
Charlie J. Phipps – State University of New York—Institute of Technology
Brian J. Axsmith – Southern Alabama University
Current and Recent Postdoctoral Fellows
Anna-Laure Decombeix – current
Elizabeth J. Hermsen
Sharon D. Klavins – University of Wisconsin, Plattsville
Michael Krings - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläeontologie und Geologie, Munich, Germany