Nondestructive,<i>in situ</i>, cellular-scale mapping of elemental abundances including organic carbon in permineralized fossils

Boyce, C. Kevin; Hazen, Robert M.; Knoll, Andrew H.

doi:10.1073/pnas.101130598

Cited by 58 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 36 publications

(18 reference statements)

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“…These organic components included phenols, methylphenols, alkyl substituted benzenes and benzofurans. Further support for organic remains in plant fossils comes from elemental mapping of silicified wood from Palaeozoic up to Miocene sites (Boyce et al, 2001), and Siurek et al (2004) -who investigated silicified wood from Chile and the Barton Peninsula (King George Island, Antarctica) -found carbon in each volume element they tested, in most cases convincingly attributable to the remnant primary organic matter.…”

Section: Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Treibs, 1934;Brocks et al, 1999;Vandenbroucke, 2003) and sedimentary rock (Albrecht and Ourisson, 1971). Fossils, too, were increasingly often found to contain organic matter (Kidwell and Holland, 2002;Behrensmeyer et al, 2000;Briggs, 2003), be it in cephalopod shells (Abelson, 1954;Westbroek et al, 1979), belemnite rostra (Bandel and Spaeth, 1988;Florek et al, 2004), bones (Abelson, 1954;Schweitzer et al, 2005Schweitzer et al, , 2007Asara et al, 2007), or wood (Boyce et al, 2001;Siurek et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Three-dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of fossils across taxa

Mietchen

Aberhan²,

Manz

et al. 2008

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. The frequency of life forms in the fossil record is largely determined by the extent to which they were mineralised at the time of their death. In addition to mineral structures, many fossils nonetheless contain detectable amounts of residual water or organic molecules, the analysis of which has become an integral part of current palaeontological research. The methods available for this sort of investigations, though, typically require dissolution or ionisation of the fossil sample or parts thereof, which is an issue with rare taxa and outstanding materials like pathological or type specimens. In such cases, non-destructive techniques could provide a valuable methodological alternative. While Computed Tomography has long been used to study palaeontological specimens, a number of complementary approaches have recently gained ground. These include Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) which had previously been employed to obtain three-dimensional images of pathological belemnites non-invasively on the basis of intrinsic contrast. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether 1 H MRI can likewise provide anatomical information about nonpathological belemnites and specimens of other fossil taxa. To this end, three-dimensional MR image series were acquired from intact non-pathological invertebrate, vertebrate and plant fossils. At routine voxel resolutions in the range of several dozens to some hundreds of micrometers, these images reveal a host of anatomical details and thus highlight the potential of MR techniques to effectively complement existing methodological approaches for palaeontological investigations in a wide range of taxa. As for the origin of the MR signal, relaxation and diffusion measurements as well as 1 H and 13 C MR spectra acquired from a belemnite suggest intracrystalline water or hydroxyl groups, rather than organic residues.

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Section: Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Three-dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of fossils across taxa

Mietchen

Aberhan²,

Manz

et al. 2008

Biogeosciences

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“…The dark contrast of the fossilized cell walls suggests that a light element (low atomic number), perhaps carbon, is still present. The appearance of carbon traces in fossilized plant cell walls was reported by Boyce et al (2001) and in cyanobacteria microfossils by House et al (2000). Minute black dots were frequently observed in the SEM-BSE images within the algal fossilized cells (Fig.…”

Section: Fossils Of Antarctic Cryptoendolithsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Westall 1999 ; Boyce et al 2001). It was stated that silica in solution (as silicic acid) nucleates into certain active groups, such as CO, OH or PO 3 , in the organic template.…”

Section: Fossils Of Antarctic Cryptoendolithsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial fossil record of rocks from the Ross Desert, Antarctica: implications in the search for past life on Mars

Wierzchos

Ascaso²

2002

International Journal of Astrobiology

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: Cryptoendolithic microbial communities living within Antarctic rocks are an example of survival in an extremely cold and dry environment. The extinction of these micro-organisms formerly colonizing sandstone in the Mount Fleming area (Ross Desert), was probably provoked by the hostile environment. This is considered to be a good terrestrial analogue of the first stage of the disappearance of possible life on early Mars. To date, only macroscopically observed indirect biomarkers of the past activity of cryptoendoliths in Antarctic rocks have been described. The present paper confirms, for the first time, the existence of cryptoendolith microbial fossils within these sandstone rocks. The novel in situ application of scanning electron microscopy with backscattered electron imaging and simultaneous use of X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy allowed the clear detection of microfossils left behind by Antarctic endoliths. Careful interpretation of the morphological features of cells, such as preserved cell walls in algae, fungi and bacteria, cytoplasm elements such as chloroplast membranes in algae and organic matter traces, mineral associations, and the spatial context of these structures all point to their identification as cryptoendolith microfossils. This type of investigation will prompt the development of research strategies aimed at locating and identifying the signs that Martian microbiota, probably only bacteria if they existed, may have been left for us to see.

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“…Thus, recent efforts have been directed toward finding biosignatures that can help distinguish fragmentary remnants of ancient microbes from either pseudofossils or abiotic organic materials that may have formed hydrothermally or in extraterrestrial processes (House et al, 2000;Boyce et al, 2001;Kudryavtsev et al, 2001;Schopf, 2002;Schopf et al, 2002Schopf et al, , 2005aCady et al, 2003;García-Ruiz et al, 2003;Hofmann, 2004;Brasier et al, 2005;Rushdi and Simoneit, 2005;Skrzypczak et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%