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Soil core for pollen research. Researcher preparing a soil core taken from a field during research into the botanical history of the region. The soil core takes a long cylinder of soil, with the deeper parts being older. The core is wrapped in clingfilm and will be taken back to a laboratory where the pollen in various layers will be studied, allowing researchers to determine the changes in plant life in the region over the last few thousand years. Photographed in a low Alpine valley near Monetier d'Allemont, France. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/PHILIPPE PSAILA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)