European Palaeobotany and Palynology Conference 2026

Each organism possesses a unique chemical “fingerprint” known as the elementome, shaped by evolutionary history, mineral availability, and plant function. Portable XRF analysers have recently been used to study the elementomes of herbarium specimens and identify hyperaccumulator species, but this approach has not yet been widely applied to plant fossils. Here, we demonstrates that the palaeo-elementome reflects ecological changes associated with the Mid–Late Pennsylvanian Boundary (MLPB) turnover event. Fossils predating the MLPB contain higher concentrations of iron (Fe), aluminium (Al), and potassium (K), whereas post-boundary specimens are enriched in titanium (Ti), niobium (Nb), and zinc (Zn). Principal components analysis revealed a stronger chemical distinction between pre- and post-boundary fossil plants than between their surrounding sediment matrices, indicating that these chemical patterns are not solely the result of diagenesis or sediment chemistry. Instead, the palaeo-elementome likely preserves aspects of original plant biology, including functional traits and plant–environment interactions. These findings establish the palaeo-elementome as a promising new proxy for investigating plant functional traits in deep time. Further development of this approach could improve understanding of nutrient use, plant function, and vegetation responses to environmental change and crisis events in deep time, while also contributing to broader research on fossilization and diagenetic processes.