Different pollen grains as they appear when using scanning electron microscopy.

In Archaeology, palynology is useful for :

• reconstructing paleoenvironments and the cargos of shipwrecks ;
• determining the cultural use of plants and the origins of agriculture ;
• identifying the cultural use of artifacts, containers, and structures; and reconstructing the diets of prehistoric cultures .

Current types of research conducted by faculty and students in the Palynology Laboratory include:

•  reconstructing the past environments of Texas and the American Southwest during the past 30,000 years;

•  studies of the origin and spread of prehistoric agriculture in Central and South America;

•  the shipping routes and cargoes of ancient ships that sank in the Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico;

•  the origin and floral characteristics of Tertiary-age lignites in Texas;

•  an on-going study of the floral contents of honey samples from the U.S. and many other regions of the world and certification of the geographical origins of honey;

•  identification of the migration and foraging habits of various agricultural insect pests using pollen;

•  using pollen as a forensic tool in criminal cases involving law enforcement and drug enforcement agencies and using pollen information to prevent terrorism; continued research examining the subsistence patterns and diets of prehistoric cultures in North, Central and South America .