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
- 58th Annual Meeting AASP – The Palynological Society joint with the 19th Simposio Argentino de Paleobotánica y Palinología (September 8 – 11, 2026, Trelew, Argentina)The Annual Meeting of the AASP – The Palynological Society, organized since 1967 by that institution, is a key international event in the field of palynology. This scientific society, based in the United States, convenes researchers from around the world each year, addressing both fossil and modern palynology from an… Read more: 58th Annual Meeting AASP – The Palynological Society joint with the 19th Simposio Argentino de Paleobotánica y Palinología (September 8 – 11, 2026, Trelew, Argentina)
- IX Congress on Quaternary and Geomorphology (August 25 – 28, 2026, Diamante, Argentina)This congress will cover several topics ranging from glaciers to fluvial plains. A thematic session will focus specifically on biological proxies in environmental reconstructions. The abstract deadline is May 22, 2026. More information about the meeting can be found at: https://aacg.ar/9cacyg2026/
- 13th Climatic and Biotic Events of the Paleogene conference (August 2 – 6, 2026, at NMNH, D.C. USA)We invite scientists worldwide to share recent advances in our knowledge of the Paleogene. Abstracts and Registration deadlines are on April 30th, 2026.More information about the meeting can be found at: https://sites.google.com/view/cbep2026/home
- PALEO4ALPS 2026 (July 20 – 23, 2026, in Bolzano, Italy)We are pleased to invite you to the joint meeting of the Italian, German, Austrian, and Swiss paleontological societies, PALEO4ALPS 2026. Registration is available at: https://www.conftool.com/paleo4alps/index.php?page=login We especially invite you to submit contributions to Session S15, “Reading the past through palynology: multidisciplinary insights into stratigraphy, climate, and environments”. This session is sponsored by TMS, AASP,… Read more: PALEO4ALPS 2026 (July 20 – 23, 2026, in Bolzano, Italy)
- Industrial & Environmental Applications in Micropaleontology MSc –Applications for 2026-27 now open!Are you interested in the fascinating world of microfossils?In the Master’s programme “Industrial and Environmental Applications inMicropaleontology” you will be trained in the main microfossil groups(nannofossils and coccolithophores, foraminifera, pollen, dinoflagellatesand other palynomorphs, ostracods, siliceous microfossils etc.) and theirapplications. This Master’s Program is a multidisciplinary, combined taught (lecturesand practicals) and… Read more: Industrial & Environmental Applications in Micropaleontology MSc –Applications for 2026-27 now open!