Faculty

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