The last meeting of the EPD working group on pollen nomenclature took place at the Geobotanical Institute of the University of Bern, Switzerland, between August 12 and 14, 1998. The workshop was organized by André Lotter and participants were Jacqueline van Leeuwen, Sylvia Peglar, Lucia Wick, and Rachid Cheddadi.
Pollen and spore nomenclature is not as standardized as it is for plant
taxa. As a result, the same pollen or spore type may have different names
in different published pollen diagrams (e.g., „Monolete spores“ and „Filicinae“
refer to the same morphological type). A standardisation of nomenclature
is, however, needed when palynological results are to be compared over
larger geographical areas. The task of the Pollen-Morphology Working Group
is to hamonize and standardise the nomenclature on a European scale, thus
providing the necessary background for integrating pollen data into the
EPD. In the past the group came together for several workshops to set up
a reference dictionary of pollen nomenclature. This work comprises several
different steps. As, according to the protocol of the EPD, the data must
contain the original taxonomic identification, the first step is to establish
a name for each contributed name of pollen and spores that is valid for
Europe as a whole (the so-called „accepted“ name). The accepted names are
marked in the data-base as synonyms to the contributed names. A reference
is given for accepted names whereever possible. The second step is then
to establish a hierarchy of accepted pollen and spore names, in which they
are grouped in larger units (e.g., Anthemis-type, belongs to Compositae
Subfam. Asteroideae). Such a hierarchy is essential if pollen diagrams
that differ in taxonomic detail are to be compared. In a third step the
accepted pollen taxa are then assigned to life-form groups such as "Trees",
"Shrubs", "Herbs", "Aquatics", and others. Examples of these three steps
are listed below.
Contributed and archived
name in EPD |
Accepted name | Literature of accepted name | Higher pollen taxon | Pollen group |
Allium | Allium-type | Moore et al. 1991 | Liliaceae-type | Herb |
Peucedanum | Peucedanum palustre-type | Punt & Clarke 1984 | Umbelliferae | Herb |
Arctium | Serratula-type | Moore et al. 1991 | Compositae Subfam. Asteroideae | Herb |
Quercus petraea | Quercus robur-type | Punt & Clarke 1984 | Quercus | Tree |
Thanks to the initiative of Bas van Geel and Jacqueline van Leeuwen the EPD taxon list was also extended to include microfossils other than pollen and spores encountered in pollen slides. This newly revised taxon list has been implemented in EPD.