Sporopollenin chemistry and its durability in the geological record: an integration of extant and fossil chemical data across the seed plants

Sporopollenin is a highly resistant biopolymer that forms the outer wall of pollen and spores (sporomorphs). Recent research into sporopollenin chemistry has opened up a range of new avenues for palynological research, including chemotaxonomic classification of morphologically cryptic taxa. However, there have been limited attempts to directly integrate extant and fossil sporopollenin chemical data. Of particular importance is the impact of sample processing to isolate sporopollenin from fresh sporomorphs, and the extent of chemical changes that occur once sporomorphs enter the geological record. Here, we explore these issues using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy data from extant and fossil grass, Nitraria (a steppe plant), and conifer pollen. We show a 98% classification success rate at subfamily level with extant grass pollen, demonstrating a strong taxonomic signature in isolated sporopollenin. However, we also reveal substantial chemical differences between extant and fossil sporopollenin, which can be tied to both early diagenetic changes acting on the sporomorphs and chemical derivates of sample processing. Our results demonstrate that directly integrating extant and late Quaternary chemical data should be tractable as long as comparable sample processing routines are maintained. Consistent differences between extant and deeper time sporomorphs, however, suggests that classifying fossil specimens using extant training sets will be challenging. Further work is therefore required to understand and simulate the effects of diagenetic processes on sporopollenin chemistry.

Automated summary

Sporopollenin, a highly resistant biopolymer forming the outer wall of pollen and spores, has opened up new avenues for palynological research. While there is strong taxonomic signature in isolated sporopollenin from extant grass pollen, substantial chemical differences were revealed between extant and fossil sporopollenin, tied to diagenetic changes and chemical derivates of sample processing. Directly integrating extant and late Quaternary chemical data is feasible with maintained sample processing routines, but classifying fossil specimens using extant training sets will be challenging due to consistent differences between extant and deeper time sporomorphs. Further research is needed to understand and simulate the effects of diagenetic processes on sporopollenin chemistry.