Palynology (Topical Term)

Oxford dict. of biol., 2004 (palynology: the study of fossil pollen and spores (pollen analysis). Palynology is used in stratigraphy, palaeoclimatology, and archaeology. Pollen and spores are very resistant to decay and therefore their fossils are found in sedimentary rocks.)

Penguin dict. of botany, 1084 (palynology: the study of living and fossil pollen grains, spores, and similar structures. The diversity of such structures has led to an increasing use of palynological data in systematics, while their resistance to decay has made them an important feature of palaeobotanical and palaeoecological work.)