A neutral, global guide to the study of pollen, spores and other palynomorphs — what a palynologist does, how to train, where the field is applied, and every resource worth knowing.
Palynology is the study of pollen grains, spores and other microscopic organic particles (collectively palynomorphs). Because their outer wall is made of sporopollenin — one of the most decay-resistant materials in nature — these grains survive for millions of years and each plant produces a distinctive shape. A palynologist collects samples from sediments, soils, air, honey or crime scenes, identifies the grains under a microscope, and reads them to reconstruct past climates, date rock layers, guide oil & gas exploration, track allergens and provide forensic evidence.
Where to begin
Core, beginner-friendly explainers, each grounded in the science and its history.
The definition, the branches, the history, and why pollen is so extraordinarily durable.
Read the guide →Degrees, skills, the microscope work, and the career paths — academia, industry and forensics.
Read the guide →How pollen becomes courtroom evidence — placing a suspect, object or body at a scene.
Read the guide →Pollen diagrams, peat bogs and lake cores — how grains reveal thousands of years of climate.
Read the guide →One science, many jobs
The same skill — identifying palynomorphs under a microscope — is applied across very different fields.
Fossil pollen and spores used to date rock strata (biostratigraphy) and reconstruct ancient environments — the backbone of oil & gas exploration.
Airborne pollen and fungal spores — the science behind pollen counts, hay-fever forecasts and allergy research.
Pollen in honey, used to certify a honey's floral and geographic origin and detect adulteration.
Pollen assemblages as trace evidence linking people, objects and places in criminal and civil cases.
Pollen from archaeological sites revealing past agriculture, diet, land use and vegetation change.
Pollen diagrams from lake and peat cores tracking vegetation and climate across the last ~2.6 million years.
Explore the field
AASP-TPS annual meetings, the International Palynological Congress, CIMP and more — with dates.
See events →Von Post, Erdtman, Hyde & Williams, Traverse, Bryant, Harley — the people who built the field.
Meet them →The essential textbooks and one gorgeous coffee-table classic — with links to buy.
Browse books →Societies, journals, laboratories and open pollen databases around the world.
Open the directory →Exine, colpus, tetrad, acetolysis, acritarch… the vocabulary of palynology, defined.
Learn the terms →Short, clear articles on how the science works and where it's going.
Read the blog →Five quick questions. How much palynology do you know?
Occasional, clear notes from the field — a new grain, a landmark study, an upcoming congress. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.