Permineralization can preserve fossils with cellular detail and the ability to analyze their preserved organic matter without the loss of spatial information would greatly increase the scope of questions that can be investigated. A suite of microanalytical techniques has been adapted for the study of fossil organic matter: electron microprobe analysis providing micron-scale mapping of elemental abundances, continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry linked to an elemental analyzer providing high resolution carbon isotopic abundances with millimeter-scale spatial resolution, and X-ray spectromicroscopy performed on cellulose acetate peels of fossils providing micron-scale resolution of the distribution of organic functional groups. These microanalytical techniques have complementary susceptibilities to limitations, such as the abundance of organic matter and its extent of degradation, the type of matrix mineral, and the relative destructiveness of the analysis, and this system allows a balance between the investigation of important paleobiological questions and control studies that make reference to the physiologies of related living organisms. Research initiatives can make use of both metabolic and synthetic biochemistry to address paleobiological questions. In addition to necessary studies of the taphonomy of organic matter, our research has focused on the early evolution of the land flora, including assessing the affinities of enigmatic fossils and investigating the evolution of vascular cell types in early tracheophytes.

Key words: isotopic geochemistry, organic geochemistry, paleobotany, taphonomy