Practical difficulties in the application of the species concept in Albian angiosperm pollen

Article (within a thematic volume) 35 Studies in Palaeobotany and Palynology in Honour of N.F. Hughes D.J. Batten and D.E.G. Briggs 41 54

Chapman, J.L. 1986. Practical difficulties in the application of the species concept in Albian angiosperm pollen. In: D.J. Batten and D.E.G. Briggs (eds.) Studies in Palaeobotany and Palynology in Honour of N.F. Hughes. Special Papers in Palaeontology, 35, 41–54.

J.L. Chapman

The definition of palynological species on continuously variable characters can cause difficulties in classifying borderline specimens and lead to blurring of morphological boundaries of the species. One group of grains from the Albian of Portugal with several discrete characters illustrates the difficulty of classifying grains into species where discrete characters are found associated in different combinations over a wide range of morphology of continuously variable characters.

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