FOURIER SERIES AS A QUANTITATIVE DESCRIPTOR OF MIOSPORE SHAPE

Abstract

Fourier series is a mathematical expression of sine and cosine waves which can be used to describe completely the outline of a miospore. The method of obtaining the Fourier series for a single miospore is presented and an illustration is included to show the application of Fourier series to the solution of palynologic problems. Investigation suggests that definable differences in the outlines of various species of pine pollen can be used to differentiate among them, but the technique used to prepare pine pollen for microscopic examination affects pollen shape. Furthermore, the changes in shape brought about by different preparation techniques are not constant from species to species. These differences have been quantitatively evaluated by means of a Fourier series and appropriate statistical tests. Further investigation suggests that under certain conditions, composite pollen shapes can be generated from the Fourier series of several grains and can be used to locate the areas on the periphery of a grain which are most variable from species to species.