Trees Though Time: Exploring the evolution of trees and forests

We are pleased to announce this year’s Autumn Science Lecture Series which will run between October and December. Across five online lectures, guest speakers will discuss the fascinating subject of paleobotany, exploring plant evolution and prehistoric ecosystems.  

In this hybrid event we will be joined by Professor Jennifer McElwain FRS, Professor of Botany at Trinity College Dublin and Director of Trinity College Botanic Garden. Hosted both online and at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Jennifer's lecture will discuss ‘Trees through time’. Both online and in-person tickets are free of charge, thanks to the sponsorship of Plants, People, Planet.

Lecture details:

Jennifer McElwain, Professor of Botany at Trinity College Dublin and Director of Trinity College Botanic Garden, will explore the evolution of trees and forests through geological time. When did the first true trees evolve? What is a tree? What can fossil plants tell us about the oldest forests on Earth? How did forests survive volvanic events, extreme climates, and meteorite impacts in Earth's geological past? What climatic conditions allowed ancient forests to grow within the polar regions? By linking forests 350 million year past to present, Jennifer's talk will show that trees are witnesses to climate change and examine what may be in store for their future in a warming planet.

Other speakers within the lecture series include: 

▫️9th Oct| Dr Sandy Hetherington, evolutionary paleobotanist from Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.  

▫️23rd Oct | Dr Paul Kenrick, principal researcher in paleobotany at the Natural History Museum.  

▫️6th Nov | Dr James Clark, prize fellow and lecturer at the Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath.  

▫️4th Dec | Dr Julia Gravendyck, lecturer in systematic botany at University of Bonn.