To most effectively learn about the amount of rainfall and the kinds of plants that grew during a specific time period thousands of years ago, scientists should primarily study fossilized pollen and tree rings.
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Fossilized Pollen: Pollen grains can provide direct evidence of the types of plants that were present in a given area at a specific time. Different plant species produce distinctive pollen, allowing researchers to reconstruct past vegetation and infer climate conditions such as rainfall.
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Tree Rings: The width and density of tree rings can indicate growth conditions, including rainfall amounts and temperature. Wider rings typically suggest favorable growing conditions, often associated with increased rainfall, while narrower rings may indicate drought conditions.
Together, these two types of specimens provide complementary information about both the vegetation and the climatic conditions of the time period being studied.