Dinoflagellate Protoperidinium divergens and resting on it the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi; recent specimens from a plankton sample from the Croatian Coast. Imaged by Luka Šupraha of Uppsala University, Sweden. ®©
Chair: Ingrid Romero (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, USA)
Secretary: Amalia Spina (University of Perugia, Italy)
Palynology is the study of all organic-walled palynomorphs that can be found in sedimentary archives, from acritarchs to dinoflagellate cysts, pollen, spores and non-pollen palynomorphs (including fungal spores, algae, etc.).
Palynology, from the Greek Paluno (sprinkle) and logy (study), aims at studying microscopic particles produced by plants such as pollen, spores as well as freshwater and marine algal cysts, and other types of palynomorphs such as acritarchs, chitinozoans and scolecodonts, that can be found in the air, water or varied sediment deposits and for a variety of time scales. A wide range of subjects encompasses palynological studies, such as melissopalynology (study of honey), forensic palynology, pollen allergy, biostratigraphy, taxonomy and evolutionary studies, environmental studies including archaeology, palaeoecology and limnology, to cite a few.
Recent Palynology Posts
- Proposals for Hosting the TMS AGM 2026We invite proposals for hosting the TMS Annual General Meeting in November 2026. We are seeking interested institutions or universities to organize this important event of our society’s calendar. We encourage you to submit a proposal if your institution meets the following criteria: 1. Strong connection to micropaleontology research2. Capacity to accommodate 100-150… Read more: Proposals for Hosting the TMS AGM 2026
- TMS Palynology Talk Speaker Series: UpdateThe first talk for the Palynology Talk Speaker Series will take place on the 22nd of September at 10:00am EST (3:00pm GMT+1). If you’d like to sign up to attend future talks please do so via this form.
- TMS AGM 2025 – Deadline ExtensionPlease note the deadline has been postponed to the 7th of September. You can find more information in the circular below and on the website.
- Life of Retaria Seminar Series – Molecular ClocksJust a reminder! If you have ever wondered how a molecular clock works and how it can be used to bridge the gap between the biological and palaeontological record please attend the upcoming workshop! Please join us for the next seminar in our Life of Retaria Seminar Series on July… Read more: Life of Retaria Seminar Series – Molecular Clocks
- ISSS Meeting September 10-13 2025, Seville SpainAdd to your calendar here! The official 2025 meeting of the International Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy will take place in Spain, as agreed by the delegates at the last annual meeting held in Sofia, Bulgaria, in September 2024. This year marks the 27th anniversary of the Silurian Field Meeting that took… Read more: ISSS Meeting September 10-13 2025, Seville Spain