How to extract and analyze pollen from internal organs and exoskeletons of fossil insects

  • Highlights • Protocol for extracting and analyzing pollen grains from fossil insects • Individual fossil grains can be analyzed using a combined approach • Simple and fast TEM embedding and sectioning protocol • Protocol enables a taxonomic assignment of pollen Summary This protocol explains how to extract pollen from fossil insects with subsequent descriptions of pollen treatment. We also describe how to document morphological and ultrastructural features with light-microscopy and electron microscopy. It enables a taxonomic assignment of pollen that can be used to interpret flower-insect interactions, foraging and feeding behavior of insects, and the paleoenvironment. The protocol is limited by the state of the fossil, the presence/absence of pollen on fossil specimens, and the availability of extant pollen for comparison.

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Metadaten
Author:Friðgeir GrímssonORCiD, Silvia UlrichORCiDGND, Reinhard ZetterORCiD, Thomas HörnschemeyerORCiDGND, Michael S. EngelORCiDGND, Sonja WedmannORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-781821
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2021.100923
ISSN:2666-1667
Parent Title (English):STAR Protocols
Publisher:Elsevier
Place of publication:Amsterdam
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2021/10/29
Date of first Publication:2021/10/29
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2024/03/26
Tag:Earth sciences; Evolutionary biology; Microscopy; Plant sciences
Volume:2.2021
Issue:100923
Article Number:100923
Page Number:20
First Page:1
Last Page:19
HeBIS-PPN:52098255X
Institutes:Biowissenschaften
Angeschlossene und kooperierende Institutionen / Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 56 Fossilien, Paläontologie / 560 Paläontologie; Paläozoologie
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - CC BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International