The Structure of Sporel Pollenin

A 2020 study aimed at demystifying and unraveling the molecular structure of sporel pollenin posed a more direct challenge. Lee compares it to lignin, the plant polymer that strengthens wood and bark. The geological record shows an abundance of fossilized lignin in strata for tens of millions of years. Then, about 300 million years ago, the lignin vanishes. Its disappearance marks the moment when a fungus called white rot evolved enzymes capable of degrading this material.