Simon BEUREL

My research focuses on the evolution and diversity of angiosperms and gymnosperms from the Mesozoic to the Cenozoic in Europe and Asia, and on the reconstruction of past environments. This includes the emergence and diversification of flowering plants in the Early Cretaceous, and the formation of modern forest ecosystems from the Eocene through the Miocene. This time interval is crucial for understanding the gradual decline of gymnosperms and the Terrestrial Angiosperm Revolution, during which flowering plants rapidly evolved and radiated, promoting the diversification of numerous groups of plants and animals. My research is based on the identification and description of flowers, fruits, cones, seeds, leaves, wood, and pollen, primarily as inclusions in amber. I use, among other techniques, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray imaging, which allow me to analyze the internal and external structures of the fossils and study their morphology and anatomy. Due to their diagnostic characters, reproductive structures (flowers and cones) allow for a more precise determination of phylogenetic relationships and are currently the subject of my research. All data are then combined to reconstruct past forests and habitats, providing a picture of the relevant paleoecosystems and identifying potential amber source plant(s). This is essential for a thorough paleoecological assessment of the multitude of invertebrate and vertebrate inclusions found in these ambers. Furthermore, it provides important insights for understanding terrestrial paleoecosystems and their evolution over time and space, as well as the evolutionary history of plant lineages.