The Occurrence of Skeletons of Silicoflagellata and Other Siliceous Bioparticles in Floral Honeys.

ABSTRACT: Siliceous marine microfossils were unexpectedly discovered during the analysis of flower honey samples from Poland and Tunisia. The microfossils were represented by protist with siliceous skeletons: silicoflagellates, diatoms, and endoskeletal dinoflagellates. This is the first record of such microfossils in honeys. Based on the high percent of anemophilous pollen grains and spores in the sample, it was hypothesized that silicoflagellates were deposited from the air onto the nectariferous flowers, then bees harvested them with the nectar. Based on the comparison of pollen content of honeys and flowering calendar of Tunisia, the harvest time of honey was identified as a period between 1 April and 31 May 2011. Trajectory analysis of air masses in this period confirmed that siliceous microfos

SUBMITTER: Magyar D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7918607 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature