Well-preserved fossil pollen grains dating back millions of years are abundantly found within layers of rocks and sediments deposited beneath the Earth’s surface. These microscopic, fossilised remains of plant pollen are true palaeontological marvels.

Did you know fossil pollen and spores can help us understand past climate variability? You are looking at microscopic images of ~55-million-year old pollen grains and spores that were isolated from a geologic unit known as the Marlboro Clay in Maryland.

Mar 14, 2025 · They then combined this tree of life with data from the analysis of two 90-million-year-old pollen fossils discovered 1,930 meters (6,332 feet) below ground in New Guinea. These fossils were also ...

Nov 10, 2020 · As a palynologist, I study microscopic fossil spores and pollen that were produced by plants for reproduction. Pollen is highly important to the future of every plant and is made of an...

Fossil pollen potentially represents a record of biodiversity at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Vegetation diversity comprises species richness and evenness, and both aspects may be reflected in the fossil record.

It is the science that studies contemporary and fossil palynomorphs (paleopalynology), including pollen, spores, orbicules, dinocysts, acritarchs, chitinozoans and scolecodonts, together with particulate organic matter (POM) and kerogen found in sedimentary rocks and sediments.

Nov 1, 2024 · Using recent (50–500 years) fossil pollen and surface pollen assemblages of angiosperms compiled from the same geographic area of Central Asia, we analyse spatial patterns in compositional turnover and phylogenetic dispersion. These are widely used to quantify different aspects of plant diversity.

Mar 13, 2025 · Scientists use 90m-year-old pollen fossils and DNA technology to reveal new insights into the evolution of tropical Asian rainforests Release date: 13 March 2025 ... alongside newly discovered and incredibly old fossils from the island of New Guinea, we were able to generate estimates on when, where and how rattan palms and their ancestors came ...

There are three major types of plant fossils found at Olduvai Gorge—pollen, phytoliths, and macrofossils. Pollen is the powder-like gamete of plants that drifts through the air during the spring. You may be more familiar with pollen than you’d like to …

Aug 27, 2024 · Fossil pollen analysis, also known as palynology, is a scientific method used to reconstruct past climates and environments by studying preserved pollen grains found in soil and sediment layers.