From Ferns to Flowers to Fossils: The Ancient Forests of Alabama

Instructor: Brian Axsmith, Ph.D., Dept. of Biology, University of South Alabama
Location: Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Saturday, June 18|12:30-4:30 p.m. 
Members $40|Non-Members $45

Alabama forests were once dominated by giant club mosses and horsetails; this class will address varied topics such as the fact that the first and only fossil of a Begonia was found in Mobile, and that a close relative of Australia’s Bunja conifer tree inhabited Russell County. We will consider the rich and significant paleobotanical record of Alabama including examination of fossil specimens, and discuss what they reveal about the history of our state and its amazing flora. We will also consider how studying plant fossils can help reconstruct ancient climates and carbon dioxide levels. Studying these records provides insight into what the future may hold. Participants will gather leaves from The Gardens to learn the practice of using leaf features to determine ancient history.