Natural Product Terpenoids in Eocene and Miocene Conifer Fossils
Angelika Otto,1*
James D. White,2
Bernd R. T. Simoneit1
Numerous saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons, but not polar
compounds, originating from plants and microorganisms (biomarkers) have
been reported in sediments, coals, and petroleum. Here we describe
natural product terpenoids found in two fossil conifers, Taxodium
balticum (Eocene) and Glyptostrobus oregonensis
(Miocene). A similar terpenoid pattern is also observed in extant
Taxodium distichum. The preservation of characteristic
terpenoids (unaltered natural products) in the fossil conifers supports
their systematic assignment to the Cypress family (Cupressaceae sensu
lato). The results also show that fossil conifers can contain polar
terpenoids, which are valuable markers for
(paleo)chemosystematics and phylogeny.
1 Environmental and Petroleum Geochemistry
Group, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State
University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
2 Department
of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
*
Present address: Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität
Frankfurt/Main, Institut für Mineralogie-Umweltanalytik,
Georg-Voigt-Strasse 14, D-60054 Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
a.otto{at}kristall.uni-frankfurt.de
