pollen analysisn.
/ˈpɒlən əˌnalᵻsɪs/, U.S. /ˈpɑlən əˌnæləsəs/ Palynology, esp. the branch of this that deals with fossil pollens. Cf. pollen diagram n. at pollen n. Compounds 2 and pollen zone n. at pollen n. Compounds 2.The analysis of pollen grains preserved in peat and sedimentary deposits has been the principal means of determining the sequence of vegetational (and hence climatic) changes through the Quaternary period.
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pollen analysis1922
palynology1944
1922 Science 3 Feb. 109/1 Renner has recently taken the subject of pollen analysis to a new level by showing that genetic classes of pollen may be distinguished in Lamarckiana.
1944 Museums Jrnl. 44 146/1 In view of the admitted inadequacy of the expression pollen analysis it has recently been proposed to substitute for it the new word palynology.
1973 Microscopy 32 321 Erdtman prepared and presented the first doctoral thesis ever to be based on pollen analysis.
1992 M. Atherden Upland Brit. vi. 96 There are three main lines of evidence for the historical development of moorlands: pollen analysis, the study of blanket peats, and the examination of soils buried beneath hillwash or archaeological structures.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1922