(ZOOM) A Glimpse into the Ecological Interactions of Early Plants and Insects during the Pennsylvanian through Coal Balls

By Dr. Scott Lakeram,
Department of Plant Biology,
Phillips Coal Ball Collection,
University of Illinois - Champaign-Urbana,
Postdoctoral Fellow,
Department of Paleobiology,
National Museum of Natural History,
Smithsonian Institute,
Washington, DC 20013-7012

Friday, March 28, 2025 7:00 PM CST on ZOOM

6:45 PM CST: Meet and Greet

7:00 PM CST: Presentation
Coal balls are permineralized peat concretions that preserve plant debris and invertebrate material, making them invaluable for reconstructing Pennsylvanian Subperiod ecosystems (approximately 300 million years ago). These fossils provide exceptional preservation of internal plant structures, offering insights into early land plant morphology and evolution. Additionally, coal balls contain coprolites (fossilized fecal remains)which document arthropod feeding strategies, revealing ancient nutrient cycling and food web dynamics in Carboniferous peat swamps.

Predominantly found in North American coal deposits, coal balls have been extensively studied for their contributions to paleoecology and plant taphonomy. The Phillips Coal Ball Collection at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is the largest and the most comprehensive assemblage of Pennsylvanian coal balls. Ongoing digitization efforts using high-magnification microscopy are making these fossils publicly accessible for teaching and research, enabling virtual analyses of microscopic plant structures and arthropod-plant interactions.

Despite their significance, the relationships between coprolite contents, plant debris, and environmental conditions remain under explored. Investigating these associations can enhance our understanding of Carboniferous food webs, arthropod feeding behaviors, and the effects of climate fluctuations. By integrating Paleobotanical and taphonomic analyses, future research on coal balls will provide deeper insights into prehistoric ecological dynamics and the evolutionary trajectories of early terrestrial life.

Bio Sketch:
Scott Lakeram is a Ph.D. candidate in Plant Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian National Natural History Museum. He is interested in understanding how terrestrial arthropods influenced decomposition in Pennsylvanian peat swamps. Scott does this by analyzing coprolites (fossilized fecal pellets) from ancient insect to understand feeding behaviors on early plants during the Pennsylvanian (300 million years ago).

• Windows to the Past: How U of I researchers use coal balls to answer big questions
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH5GECWea8w
• Coal Ball Fossils
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM4POoxtoTg
• Coal Ball Peel
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbgaRv48s5I

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