Carnoy: A new digital measurement tool for palynology

Abstract

Quantitative data play an important role in palynological research. With the advent of digital imaging in light and electron microscopy, palynologists now have the opportunity to perform measurements faster and more precisely than ever before. Several image analysis software packages already exist for these tasks, but they are often expensive, difficult to use or not adapted to the specific needs of palynologists. After studying the daily workflow of a palynologist, we designed Carnoy, an image analysis application written from the ground up for use in palynology and morphology. Carnoy offers an easy-to-use interface and several features to make measuring easier and faster. The program can export measurements to almost every other software package for further analysis and is available for free on the Internet.