palynology

Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

  • noun The scientific study of spores, pollen and particulate organic matter in rocks.

Examples

  • She is now a professor emeritus of botany in the Biology Department at the University of Washington, with a distinguished career as a paleobotonist specializing in palynology, the study of fossil pollen.

    Aldo Leopold's Children

  • Long distance transport of wind blown pollen into areas of low pollen productivity such as arctic tundra is a well known problem in palynology.

    Gajewski, Mann and Warm Ice Age Arizona « Climate Audit

  • Pollen analysis, or palynology, is a powerful technique for determining past climatic conditions, because—as any gardener knows—most plants and trees are fussy about things like temperature, sunlight, and water.

    The Goddess and the Bull

Note

The word 'palynology' comes from Ancient Greek παλύνω (palúnō, "I sprinkle, scatter"), from πάλη (pálē, "fine meal, dust") and -logy.