Pine Pollen under the microscope

Palynology is the science that studies contemporary and fossil palynomorphs, including pollen, spores, dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, chitinozoans and scolecodonts, together with particulate organic matter (POM) and kerogen found in sedimentary rocks and sediments. Palynology does not include diatoms, foraminiferans or other organisms with silicaceous or calcareous exoskeletons. Download high resolution version (652x652, 251 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (652x652, 251 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Subgenera Subgenus Strobus Subgenus Ducampopinus Subgenus Pinus See Pinus classification for complete taxonomy to species level. ... SEM image of pollen grains from a variety of common plants: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), prairie hollyhock (Sidalcea malviflora), oriental lily (Lilium auratum), evening primrose (Oenothera fruticosa), and castor bean (Ricinus communis). ... Palynomorph is the geological term used to describe a particle of a size between 5 - 500 micrometres, found in rock deposits (sedimentary rocks) and composed of organic material, such as chitin, pseudochitin and sporopollenin. ... SEM image of pollen grains from a variety of common plants: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), prairie hollyhock (Sidalcea malviflora), oriental lily (Lilium auratum), evening primrose (Oenothera fruticosa), and castor bean (Ricinus communis). ... The term spore has several different meanings in biology. ... Classes Dinophyceae Noctiluciphyceae Syndiniophyceae The dinoflagella are a large group of flagellate protists. ... This article is about cysts in the body. ... Acritarchs are small organic structures found as fossils. ... Chitinozoa (English singular: chitinozoan, plural: chitinozoans) are a group of flask-shaped marine microfossils (50-2000 micrometres) which appear dark or almost opaque when viewed using a light microscope. ... Scolecodonts are the jaws of polychaete annelids (worms). ... Kerogens are chemical compounds that make up a portion of the organic matter in sedimentary rocks. ... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Diatoms are the most common of the eukaryotic algae. ... Orders Allogromiida Carterinida Fusulinida - extinct Globigerinida Involutinida Lagenida Miliolida Robertinida Rotaliida Silicolocunida Spirillinida Textulariida incertae sedis    Xenophyophorea    Reticulomyxa The Foraminifera, or forams for short, are a large group of amoeboid protists with reticulating pseudopods, fine strands that branch and merge to form a dynamic net. ... Calcareous formed from or containing a high proportion of Calcium carbonate. ... An exoskeleton, in contrast to an endoskeleton, is an external anatomical feature that supports and protects an animals body. ...

Palynology is an interdisciplinary science and is a branch of earth science (geology or geological science) and biological science (biology), particularly plant science (botany). Stratigraphical palynology is a branch of micropalaeontology and paleobotany which studies fossil palynomorphs from the Precambrian to the Holocene. Earth science (also known as geoscience, the geosciences or the Earth Sciences), is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Biology studies the variety of life (clockwise from top-left) E. coli, tree fern, gazelle, Goliath beetle Biology is the science of life (from the Greek words bios = life and logos = word). ... For other uses, see Biology (disambiguation). ... Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... Pinguicula grandiflora commonly known as a Butterwort Example of a cross section of a stem [1] Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... Stratigraphy, a branch of geology, studies rock layers and layering (stratification). ... Micropaleontology, the study of microfossils, is a branch of paleontology. ... Paleobotany (from the Greek words paleon = old and botanikos = of herbs) is the branch of paleontology dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use in the reconstruction of past environments and the history of life. ... For other uses, see Fossil (disambiguation). ... The Precambrian (Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eons of the geologic timescale that came before the current Phanerozoic eon. ... The Holocene epoch is a geological period, which began approximately 11,550 calendar years BP (about 9600 BC) and continues to the present. ...

A History of Palynology

Early History

The earliest reported observations of pollen under a microscope are likely to have been in the 1640s by the English botanist Nehemiah Grew^[1] who described pollen, the stamen and successfully predicted that pollen was required for successful reproduction in plants. As microscopes began to improve further studies included work by Robert Kidston and P. Reinsch examined the presence of spores in coal and compared them to modern spores^[2]. The early pioneers also included Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg (radiolarians and diatoms), Gideon Mantell (desmids) and Henry Hopley White (dinoflagellates). Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... Nehemiah Grew. ... Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg. ... Classes Polycystinea Acantharea Sticholonchea Radiolarians (also radiolaria) are amoeboid protozoa that produce intricate mineral skeletons, typically with a central capsule dividing the cell into inner and outer portions, called endoplasm and ectoplasm. ... Diatoms are the most common of the eukaryotic algae. ... Gideon Algernon Mantell (February 3, 1790 – November 10, 1852) was an English obstetrician, geologist and palaeontologist. ... Families Closteriaceae Desmidiaceae Gonatozygaceae Peniaceae Desmids are an order (Desmidiales) of green algae, comprising around 40 genera and 5,000[1] to 6,000[2] species, found mostly but not exclusively in fresh water. ... Classes Dinophyceae Noctiluciphyceae Syndiniophyceae The dinoflagellates are a large group of flagellate protists. ...

Modern Palynology

The earliest quantitative analysis of pollen was published by Lennart von Post who laid out the foundations of modern pollen analysis in his Kristiania lecture of 1916^[3] Pollen analysis was initially confined to Nordic countries because many early publications were in Nordic languages.^[4] This isolation ended with the publication of Gunnar Erdtman's thesis of 1921 when pollen analysis became widespread throughout Europe and North America for use in studies of Quaternary vegetation and climate change^[3]. Lennart von Post (June 16, 1884-January 11, 1951) was a Swedish geologist. ... In the period 1878–1924, Kristiania was the name used for Norways capital Oslo (having been called Christiania since 1624). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... North American redirects here. ... The Quaternary Period is the geologic time period from the end of the Pliocene Epoch roughly 1. ...

The term palynology was introduced by Hyde and Williams in 1944, following correspondence with the Swedish geologist Antevs, in the pages of the Pollen Analysis Circular (one of the first journals devoted to pollen analysis, produced by Paul Sears in North America). Hyde and Williams chose palynology on the basis of the Greek words paluno meaning 'to sprinkle' and pale meaning 'dust' (and thus similar to the Latin word pollen).^[5] Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Geologist by Carl Spitzweg A geologist is a contributor to the science of geology, studying the physical structure and processes of the Earth and planets of the solar system (see planetary geology). ... Paul Bigelow Sears (December 17, 1891-April 30, 1990) was an American ecologist. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ...

Methods of study

Palynomorphs are broadly defined as organic-walled microfossils between 5 and 500 micrometres in size. They are extracted from rocks and sediment cores both physically, by wet sieving, often after ultrasonic treatment, and chemically, by using chemical digestion to remove the non-organic fraction. For other uses of the term, see Fossil (disambiguation) Fossils are the mineralized remains of animals or plants or other artifacts such as footprints. ... A micrometre (American spelling: micrometer, symbol µm) is an SI unit of length equal to one millionth of a metre, or about a tenth of the diameter of a droplet of mist or fog. ... Pollen cores being taken at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. ... A sieve analysis is a practice or procedure used to assess the particle size distribution of a granular material. ...

Chemical Preparation

Chemical digestion follows a number of steps. Initially the only chemical treatment used by researchers was treatment with KOH to remove humic substances; defloculation was accomplished through surface treatment or ultra-sonic treatment, although sonification may cause the pollen exine to rupture.^[4] The use of hydrofluoric acid (HF) to digest silicate minerals was introduced by Assarson and Granlund in 1924, greatly reducing the amount of time required to scan slides for palynomorphs.^[6] Palynological studies using peats presented a particular challenge because of the presence of well preserved organic material including fine rootlets, moss leaflets and organic litter. This was the last major challenge in the chemical preparation of materials for palynological study. Acetolysis was developed by Gunnar Erdtman and his brother to remove these fine cellulose materials by dissolving them.^[7]. In acetolysis the material is treated with acetic anhydride and sulfuric acid, dissolving cellulistic materials and providing better visibility for palynomorphs. The chemical compound potassium hydroxide, (KOH) sometimes known as caustic potash, potassa, potash lye, and potassium hydrate, is a metallic base. ... Humic acid is one of the major components of humic substances which are dark brown and major constituents of soil organic matter humus that contributes to soil chemical and physical quality and are also precursors of some fossil fuels. ... R-phrases , S-phrases , , , , Flash point nonflammable Related Compounds Other anions Hydrochloric acid Hydrobromic acid Hydroiodic acid Related compounds Hydrogen fluoride fluorosilicic acid Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... In chemistry, a silicate is a compound containing an anion in which one or more central silicon atoms are surrounded by electronegative ligands. ... For other uses, see Mineral (disambiguation). ... Acetic anhydride, also known as ethanoic anhydride, is one of the simplest of acid anhydrides. ... Sulfuric acid, (also known as sulphuric acid) H2SO4, is a strong mineral acid. ... Cellulose as polymer of β-D-glucose Cellulose in 3D Cellulose (C6H10O5)n is a polysaccharide of beta-glucose. ...

Some steps of the chemical treatments require special care for safety reason, in particular the use of HF which diffuses very fast through the skin and could cause severe chemical burns.

Other treatment include kerosene flotation for chitinous materials. Structure of the chitin molecule, showing two of the N-Acetylglucosamine units that repeat to form long chains in beta-1,4 linkage. ...

Analysis

Once samples have been prepared chemically, samples are mounted on microscope slides using silicon oil, glycerol or glycerol-jelly and examined using light microscopy or scanning electron microscopy. A microscope (Greek: (micron) = small + (skopein) = to look at) is an instrument for viewing objects that are too small to be seen by the naked or unaided eye. ... Microscopy is any technique for producing visible images of structures or details too small to otherwise be seen by the human eye, using a microscope or other magnification tool. ... Sem may refer to: Sem or Shem; (Hebrew) One of the sons of Noah in the Bible. ...

Researchers will often study either modern samples from a number of unique sites within a given area, or samples from a single site with a record through time, such as samples obtained from peat or lake sediments. More recent studies have used the modern analog technique in which paleo-samples are compared to modern samples for which the parent vegetation is known^[8] Peat in Lewis, Scotland Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter. ...

When the slides are observed under a microscope the researcher will count the number of grains from each pollen taxon. This record is then used to produce a pollen diagram. This data can be used to detect anthropogenic effects such as logging^[9], traditional patterns of land use^[10] or long term changes in regional climate^[11] Look up anthropogenic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Palynology can be applied to problems in many fields including geology, botany, paleontology, archaeology, pedology (soil study), and geography. This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Pinguicula grandiflora commonly known as a Butterwort Example of a cross section of a stem [1] Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology (from Greek: paleo, ancient; ontos, being; and logos, knowledge) is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. ... For referencing in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Citing sources. ... Pedology has the following meanings Pedology (soil study) and Pedology (children study) This is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ...

Applications

Palynology is used for a diverse range of applications, related to many scientific disciplines:

• Biostratigraphy and geochronology. Geologists use palynological studies in biostratigraphy to correlate strata and determine the relative age of a given bed, horizon, formation or stratigraphical sequence.
• Palaeoecology and climate change. Palynology can be used to reconstruct past vegetation (land plants) and marine and freshwater phytoplankton communities, and so infer past environmental (palaeoenvironmental) and palaeoclimatic conditions.
• Organic palynofacies studies, which examine the preservation of the particulate organic matter and palynomorphs provides information on the depositional environment of sediments and depositional palaeoenvironments of sedimentary rocks.
• Geothermal alteration studies examine the colour of palynomorphs extracted from rocks to give the thermal alteration and maturation of sedimentary sequences, which provides estimates of maximum palaeotemperatures.
• Limnology studies. Freshwater palynomorphs and animal and plant fragments, including the prasinophytes and desmids (green algae) can be used to study past lake levels and long term climate change.
• Taxonomy and evolutionary studies.
• Forensic palynology- the study of pollen and other palynomorphs for evidence at a crime scene.
• Allergy studies. Studies of the geographic distribution and seasonal production of pollen, can help sufferers of allergies such as hay fever.
• Melissopalynology - the study of pollen and spores found in honey.
• Archaeological Palynology examines human uses of plants in the past. This can help determine seasonality of site occupation, presence or absence of agricultural practices or products and plant-related activity areas within an archaeological context. Bonfire Shelter is one such example of this application.

Because the distribution of acritarchs, chitinozoans, dinoflagellate cysts, pollen and spores provides evidence of stratigraphical correlation through biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, one common and lucrative application of palynology is in oil and gas exploration. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Geochronology is the science of determining the age of rocks, fossils, and sediments. ... For other uses, see strata (novel) and strata title. ... Stratigraphy, a branch of geology, studies rock layers and layering (stratification). ... Paleoecology uses data from fossils and subfossils to reconstruct the ecosystems of the past. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 450,000 years For current global climate change, see Global warming. ... Aerial view of mixed aspen-spruce forest in Alaska Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover life forms, structure, spatial extent or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. ... Animated map exhibiting the worlds oceanic waters. ... Fresh water redirects here. ... Diagrams of some typical phytoplankton Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of plankton. ... This article is about the natural environment. ... Paleoclimatology is the study of climate change taken on the scale of the entire history of the Earth. ... Benzene is the simplest of the arenes, a family of organic compounds An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. ... Palynofacies studies examine the preservation of particulate organic matter and palynomorphs to provide information on the depositional environment of sediments and depositional palaeoenvironments of sedimentary rocks. ... Palynomorph is the geological term used to describe a particle of a size between 5 - 500 micrometres, found in rock deposits (sedimentary rocks) and composed of organic material, such as chitin, pseudochitin and sporopollenin. ... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Color is an important part of the visual arts. ... Palynomorph is the geological term used to describe a particle of a size between 5 - 500 micrometres, found in rock deposits (sedimentary rocks) and composed of organic material, such as chitin, pseudochitin and sporopollenin. ... A 3-dimensional rendered Ball-and-stick model of the methane molecule. ... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Lake Geneva Limnology (from Greek: Λίμνη limne, lake; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the study of inland waters (both fresh and saline), including their biological, physical, chemical, geological and hydrological aspects. ... Families Closteriaceae Desmidiaceae Gonatozygaceae Peniaceae Desmids are an order (Desmidiales) of green algae, comprising around 40 genera and 5,000[1] to 6,000[2] species, found mostly but not exclusively in fresh water. ... Divisions Chlorophyta Charophyta Streptophytina (Subdivision) The green algae are the large group of algae from which the embryophytes (higher plants) emerged. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 450,000 years For current global climate change, see Global warming. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... Forensic palynology is the study of pollen and powdered minerals, their identification, and where and when they occur, to ascertain that a body or other object was in a certain place at a certain time. ... SEM image of pollen grains from a variety of common plants: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), prairie hollyhock (Sidalcea malviflora), oriental lily (Lilium auratum), evening primrose (Oenothera fruticosa), and castor bean (Ricinus communis). ... Palynomorph is the geological term used to describe a particle of a size between 5 - 500 micrometres, found in rock deposits (sedimentary rocks) and composed of organic material, such as chitin, pseudochitin and sporopollenin. ... Allergy is an abnormal reaction to a substance foreign to the body that is acquired, predictable and rapid. ... For the play, see Hay Fever. ... Melissopalynology is the study of honey and any pollen contained therein. ... Bonfire Shelter is an archaeological site located in a southwest Texas rock shelter. ... Acritarchs are small organic structures found as fossils. ... Chitinozoa (English singular: chitinozoan, plural: chitinozoans) are a group of flask-shaped marine microfossils (50-2000 micrometres) which appear dark or almost opaque when viewed using a light microscope. ... Classes Dinophyceae Noctiluciphyceae Syndiniophyceae The dinoflagella are a large group of flagellate protists. ... SEM image of pollen grains from a variety of common plants: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), prairie hollyhock (Sidalcea malviflora), oriental lily (Lilium auratum), evening primrose (Oenothera fruticosa), and castor bean (Ricinus communis). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Stratigraphy, a branch of geology, studies rock layers and layering (stratification). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Petro redirects here. ... For other uses, see Natural gas (disambiguation). ...

Palynology also allows scientists to infer the climatic conditions from the vegetation present in an area thousands or millions of years ago. This is a fundamental part of research into climate change. The geologic time scale is used by geologists and other scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred during the history of the Earth. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 450,000 years For current global climate change, see Global warming. ...

References

• Moore, P.D., et al. (1991), Pollen Analysis (Second Edition). Blackwell Scientific Publications. ISBN 0-632-02176-4
• Traverse, A. (1988), Paleopalynology. Unwin Hyman ISBN 0-04-561001-0
• Roberts, N. (1998), The Holocene an environmental history, Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-631-18638-7

Blackwell Publishing was formed in 2001 from two Oxford-based academic publishing companies, Blackwell Science and Blackwell Publishers, which had their origins in the nineteenth century Blackwells family bookshop and publishing business. ...

External links

• International Federation of Palynological Societies
• American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists, Inc. (AASP)
• Centre for Palynology, University of Sheffield, UK
• Palynology Laboratory, French Institute of Pondicherry, India
• The Palynology Unit, Kew Gardens, UK
• PalDat, palynological database hosted by the University of Vienna, Austria
• The Micropalaeontological Society
• The American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists (AASP)
• Commission Internationale de Microflore du Paléozoique (CIMP), international commission for Palaeozoic palynology.
• CIMP Subcommission on Acritarchs
• CIMP Chitinozoan Subcommission
• Linnean Society Palynology Specialist Group (LSPSG)
• Canadian Association of Palynologists
• Pollen and Spore Identification Literature