engleski

Forensic potential of pollen grains of continental Croatia - case study in the area of Hrvatsko Zagorje (North-West Croatia)

The aim of this work is to present forensic potential of pollen grains (based on means of dispersal) from the typical continental area in Croatia (Hrvatsko zagorje). Plant taxa and their pollen samples were collected during vegetation season between 2004 and 2008. A total of 276nplants with their pollen grains were collected. Microscopic slides were analysed under inverted light microscope. The following was recorded for pollen of each taxon: shape of the pollen grain, aperture type, grain size, means of dispersal, degree of threat and forensic potential. Regarding the shape, most of pollen grains are spheroidal (61%), followed with oblate (18%) prolate (18%) and oblate-spheroidal (2%) pollen grains, and only 1% of collected taxa have pollen grains without a suitable shape description. Regarding aperture type, most of the collected taxa have colporate pollen grains (42%), then colpate(29%), porate (16%), sulcate (6%), inaperturate (5%) and ulcerate (2%). Most of the analyzed taxa (70%) have medium sized pollen grains (26-50µm). Then as follows: 20% of analyzed taxa have small pollen grains (10- 25µm), 9% of analyzed taxa have large pollen grains (51-100µm), and 1% of analyzed taxa have very small pollen grains (<10µm). Regarding the methods of dispersal of pollen grains, most of collected taxa are zoogamous (59%), then autogamous -zoogamous (19%), anemophilous (16%), anemophilous-zoogamous (4%), insects- birds (1%) and autogamous (1%). Therefore, pollen of the majority of taxa from the researched continental area of Croatia is dispersed thanks to insects. Zhe limited distribution in Croatia of some species (e.g. daphne mezereum and Iris sibirica subsp. sibirica) has excellent forensic potential. The generated palynological collection could be used as a comparative forensic collection for identification or control of forensic samples of pollen grains.

Pollen ; Forensic Potential ; North-West Croatia

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