European Palaeobotany and Palynology Conference 2026

Solar ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, wavelengths 280–315 nm) has fundamental influence on terrestrial biological processes, due to its characters of high energetic, ability of breaking chemical bonds, and damage to DNA and cell membranes. The ultraviolet absorbing compounds (UACs) in palynomorphs act as key protective components against the deleterious effects of UV-B radiation and have been proposed as a proxy for reconstructions of past UV-B radiation. To investigate plants’ abilities in synthesising UAC and producing pollen grains under UV-B radiation, controlled experiments are useful to isolate the effects of specific drivers. We therefore compared UAC signals in both potted cultivars and branch cuttings in a controlled setting using a UV-B treatment and control. We assessed both pollen malformation rates and the quantity the UAC signals through both thermally assisted pyrolysis gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (THM-py-GC-MS) and Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Overall we find differences in the malformation rates and UACs when comparing potted cultivars and branch cuttings. We also find a moderate negative correlation between malformation rates and UAC signals, suggesting the role of UAC in protecting stability in mitosis stages. Our findings overall contribute to understanding on influence of different forms of materials controlled experimental settings.