1. A microscopic silica structure formed inside or on the surface of plant cells, often preserved in soil and used in archaeological and paleontological research.
Usage: technical; scientific

Examples

• Archaeologists analyzed phytoliths from ancient pottery to determine what crops were grown thousands of years ago.
• Phytoliths are particularly abundant in grasses and are useful for reconstructing past environments.
• The phytolith assemblage in the soil layer provided evidence of early agriculture in the region.
• Scientists extracted phytoliths from fossilized plant remains to study prehistoric diets.
• Phytoliths can survive in sediment long after the plant tissue has decomposed.