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Modern pollen as a tool for paleoecological research (talk in Spanish)
Each plant produces a particular type of pollen, which means that it has unique characteristics that can be used to identify the species to which it belongs.
Pollen grains are microscopic structures (5 to 250 μm) that represent the microgametophyte of seed-bearing plants, which during sexual reproduction provide the male genetic material. Each plant species produces a particular type of pollen, which means that pollen has unique characteristics that can be used to identify the plant species to which it belongs. Pollen is also highly resistant and can remain in the environment for long periods of time. This means that pollen can be deposited in natural traps, such as lake sediments, bromeliads or soils, and later recovered for analysis. By extracting pollen from these natural traps and examining its composition and structure, it is possible to determine which plant species were present in a given area and at a given time. In this way, pollen is a valuable tool for reconstructing the vegetation and associated environmental conditions, both past and present.