Comprehensive perspectives on phytolith studies in Quaternary Research

Phytolith studies have become a prominent part of the environmental, climatic and archaeological research debate of the last three decades. The high preservation rates of these inorganic particles, combined with the increased knowledge about their taxonomic and ecological value, makes phytoliths a well-exploited tool to study past environments, climate variability, and anthropic activities (both at settlement and landscape level). The annual number of publications grew from 17 in 1994 to 265 in late October 2012, more than fifteen times in eighteen years. Another important point to focus on is that the articles are only from journals focused on Earth Sciences and Archaeology, not including all the publications in Botany and Biology journals. This clearly demonstrates the maturity phytoliths studies have achieved, and the vast pool of data contributed by these microfossils.Peer reviewe