The use of sieving during standard pollen pre-treatment of samples of fossil deposits to enhance the concentration of large pollen grains

Small pollen grains and fine particles of the organic matrix in samples of a coarse detritus mud and a blanket peal deposit were removed by sieving through 30μ polyester mesh after digestion with KOH and acetolysis during standard pollen pre-treatment. The technique enhanced the number of large pollen grains m the sample. There was also an increase in the range of taxa which produce huge grains. The method provided a means of estimating the ratio of any scarce large pollen grain to the total grain sum in samples prepared by standard methods of pre-treatment.