Quiz: Pollen

Bulletin of 16 April 2026

Pollen first appeared in the fossil record about (a) 370 million years ago (b) 260 million years ago (c) 150 million years ago (d) 40 million years ago.
Answer
(a) 370 million years ago.
What is the study of pollen grains called?
Answer
Palynology
True or false: Marine seagrasses produce pollen under water, which is sometimes carried from flower to flower by tiny crustaceans.
Answer
True.
The pollen of what plant is largely responsible for Melbourne’s occasional ‘thunderstorm asthma’ events?
Answer
Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne).
What pollination technique - important for tomatoes - is employed by both native blue-banded bees and by European bumblebees, but not by honeybees?
Answer
Buzz pollination.

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