Pollen: mammoth killer?

• Pollen is a gametophyte that delivers male gametes from seed-producing plants to stigmas of other plants.
• Pollen particles consist of reproductive and non-reproductive cells.
• Nonreproductive cells produce the pollen tube, while reproductive cells multiply to produce sperm cells.
• Pollen particles resemble a powder when collected together.
• A natural polymer called sporopollenin surrounds pollen cells to protect them.
• Pollen, usually from anemophilous plants, can cause allergies, such as hay fever.
• Pollen study is called palynology.
• A study suggests pollen may have contributed to the extinction of mammoths due to disrupted olfactory systems.
• Independent researchers need more proof before accepting this theory.