PART FOURTEEN 



PALEOBOTANY 



Someone has said that the past is the key to the future. 

 If we know our fossil forms and compare them with hving 

 species, we can then make some valid extrapolations about 

 the future. In other words, the scientific method allows us 

 to make predictions. For example, the study of coal, which 

 is composed of fossil plants, will tell us how much coal re- 

 mains in the earth's crust, how it was formed, and how much 

 is probably being formed today. This inforynation can then 

 be used to estimate how long our coal will last for home and 

 industry use. We also know how much time we have to de- 

 velop a suitable substitute before the coal seams are ex- 

 hausted. Also, the study of fossil algae called diatoms is of 

 great practical value in oil research. 



Paleobotanical research also seeks knowledge for its own 

 sake. The study of evolutionary development produces lit- 

 tle of monetary value, but it provides concepts of the maxi- 

 mum interest. Who can say when pure knowledge will 

 become useful? The Heliocentric Theory (sun-centered) of 

 Copernicus was strictly of academic interest until man started 

 sending up rockets and satellites. All calculations of the space 

 travelers are predicated on the validity of this theory. What 

 did the first plants on earth look like and when did they make 

 their first appearance? These are also questions with which 

 paleobotanists are wrestling. 



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