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Fossil mollusk shell organic matrix components preserved for 80 million years

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2016

S. Weiner ,
H. A. Lowenstam ,
B. Taborek  and
L. Hood
S. Weiner
Affiliation:
Isotope Department, The Weizman Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
H. A. Lowenstam
Affiliation:
Division of Geological and Planetry Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
B. Taborek
Affiliation:
Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
L. Hood
Affiliation:
Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
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Abstract

The organic matrix components of a fossil ammonoid shell from the Upper Cretaceous, can be separated into sub-fractions which are generally comparable to those found in extant Nautilus, using ion exchange chromatography. This suggests that at least portions of these components are sufficiently well preserved to interact characteristically with the ion exchange resin. Amino acid compositions of these sub-fractions, however, do not resemble Nautilus organic matrix sub-fractions, indicating that considerable diagenetic alteration of this material has taken place.

Type
Research Article
Information
Paleobiology , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , Spring 1979 , pp. 144 - 150
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

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