DNA analysis of a single pollen grain to identify the provenance of pollen transported to Antarctica

本研究试图开发一种通过分析其DNA在物种水平上鉴定花粉颗粒的方法，以确定可以在南极冰雪中发现的花粉的来源。为了进行这项研究，对从俄罗斯冰川中提取的松树花粉进行了初步分析。松花粉是南极冰雪中的一种主要花粉类型(50%)。现代花粉分析用显微镜观察花粉形态，对松属花粉的鉴定仅限于属水平。这项研究使我们能够在亚种水平上鉴定出比物种高一级的花粉。

This study attempted to develop a method to identify the pollen grain at species level by analyzing its DNA in order to define a provenance of the pollen that can be found in Antarctic snow and ice. For the development, Pinus pollen grains extracted from a glacier in Russia was analyzed as a preliminary approach. Pinus pollen is a major type(> 50%) of pollen in Antarctic snow and ice. Modern pollen analysis observes pollen morphology with a microscope, identification of Pinus pollen is limited to genus level only. This study allowed us to identify the pollen at subsection level that is one rank higher of species.