Research Training Program

Scott Kruger
Tulane University
New Orleans, Louisiana

Scott Wing, Ph.D.
Project Advisor
Department of Paleobiology

"The RTP has proven invaluable in my growth as a young scientist."

Quantitative Leaf Physiognomy and Paleoclimate Inference

Leaf physiognomy has been studied by many researchers interested in present-day climate and paleoclimate. A number of correlations between the form of leaves and environmental variables have been found. These include correlations between average leaf area and precipitation and leaf margin and mean annual temperature (Dolph and Dilcher, 1980; Wolfe, 1978; Davis and Taylor, 1979). There is an intriguing similarity of physiognomic characteristics among plants in similar climates regardless of geographic location and taxon of resident plants (Wolfe, 1978). These correlations and other tools, such as The Climate-Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP) designed by Jack Wolfe, have been used by researchers to infer paleoclimate.

This project was designed as a pilot study to determine ways to measure leaf characters quantitatively as opposed to semi-quantitatively.

This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Award: BIR-9300225).