M. Firoze Quamar,^1,* Samir K. Bera<sup>1,**

1</sup>Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow 226007, Uttar Pradesh, India

^*Notes on contributorsM. FIROZE QUAMAR was awarded a BSc (Hons.) in botany from the RDS College (Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University – BRABU), Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India, in 2000, and an MSc in botany from the University Department of Botany, BRABU, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, in 2004 with 1st Position. He received his PhD (botany) in 2011 from the University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. He worked as a Birbal Sahni Research Scholar (BSRS) and Birbal Sahni Research Associate (BSRA) at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) in Lucknow while carrying out research for his PhD, and thereafter. He joined BSIP as a Scientist ‘B’ in 2013 and is presently working as a Scientist ‘C’. His research interests mainly include the reconstruction of palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate in the central Indian core monsoon zone (CMZ) during the Late Quaternary using pollen as a proxy. He received the Dr B.S. Venkatachala Memorial Medal for his outstanding research work in palaeobotany among the young scientists of BSIP in 2014. He is also the recipient of the Paper of the Month (POTM) Award from BSIP in 2014; and prizes for Best Poster Presentation at NIT, Rourkela, Odisha, in 2013 and at BSIP in 2016. He was awarded the Dr Chunnilal Khatiyal Medal in 2016 in the category of Scientist ‘B’ at the BSIP. He has published 39 research papers (including four review articles) and seven meeting reports in peer-reviewed journals.
^**SAMIR K. BERA was awarded a BSc in botany from the University of Calcutta in 1976, an MSc in botany from the University of Burdwan in 1978 and a PhD from the University of Lucknow in 1989. He was superannuated as a Scientist F from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, in 2015. His research interests include palaeoclimatology and using Quaternary pollen as a proxy. Samir has 32 years' research experience, and has published 90 papers in peer-reviewed journals. He has visited Antarctica twice, and has supervised several research students.