Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 26 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (683 download)
Book Synopsis The Nature and Fate of Natural Resins in the Geosphere VI. Analysis of Fossil Resins from Axel Heiberg Island Canadian Arctic by :
Download or read book The Nature and Fate of Natural Resins in the Geosphere VI. Analysis of Fossil Resins from Axel Heiberg Island Canadian Arctic written by and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ambers are well known and abundant in terrestrial sediments all over the world; however, due largely to the absence of definite morphological characteristics, the precise botanical origin of most amber samples, are at best, often a matter of speculation. This has severely restricted the usefulness of amber in paleobotanical and paleoecological interpretations. The molecular composition and structural characteristics of fossil resins however, may preserve evidence of their botanical origin, which could be of great value in both geochemical, paleobotanical, and paleoenvironmental studies. The remains of a number of exceptionally well-preserved Taxodiaceae-dominated swamp-forest communities have been identified in the sediments of the middle Eocene (45 million years old) Buchanan Lake Formation of Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The amber collected from these ancient in situ forests provides a unique opportunity to characterize these resins chemically and taxonomically. Resinite associated with Metasequoia, Pinus and Pseudolarix has been characterized using Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. This method provides a direct analysis of the molecular structure and composition of the resin. In several cases, both bled resin and cone-resin samples have been characterized. The results of these analyses are presented and discussed. The implications of these results for the botanical origins of other ambers represented in the fossil record (including succinite) will also be discussed.