The importance of being an ultrastructurally experienced palynologist

With great interest we have read the stimulating and groundbreaking article by Annick Le Thomas in PALYNOS 25/2, and her invitation to other working groups to present their actual research priorities. She proposed an interdisciplinary discussion about topics and new directions during the next IPC 2004 in Granada, Spain. After focussing on the fact that, "Palynology has become a well-established research tool .... integrating perfectly into .... multidisciplinary programmes" , she then goes straight to the point: "Because of this it seemed, of itself, to disappear". Palynologists as evolutionarily oriented botanists working ultrastructurally, especially those routinely using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) are perfectly trained, highly experienced scientists. However, unfortunately, nowadays they appear to be an endangered species, and their field of work should be put on a Red Data List. This is a big reason for writing the present article.