A potential biomarker for the Permian-Triassic ecological crisis

A unique biomarker, a C33 n-alkylcyclohexane (n-heptacosylcyclohexane), which strongly increases in abundance within the extinction interval of the end-Permian ecological crisis, is here reported from the key Permian–Triassic (P–Tr) marine section in Greenland. Prior to this study, this compound had...

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Main Authors: Grice, Kliti, Twitchett, R., Alexander, Robert, Foster, C., Looy, Cindy
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier BV 2005
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25648
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author Grice, Kliti
Twitchett, R.
Alexander, Robert
Foster, C.
Looy, Cindy
author_facet Grice, Kliti
Twitchett, R.
Alexander, Robert
Foster, C.
Looy, Cindy
author_sort Grice, Kliti
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description A unique biomarker, a C33 n-alkylcyclohexane (n-heptacosylcyclohexane), which strongly increases in abundance within the extinction interval of the end-Permian ecological crisis, is here reported from the key Permian–Triassic (P–Tr) marine section in Greenland. Prior to this study, this compound had been known from Early Triassic organic-rich marine rocks and oils from the northern Perth Basin, Western Australia for two decades. We have identified the compound in high relative abundance in 29 samples from P–Tr marine sections from two separate paleogeographic localities, from Laurasia and Gondwana. Relative concentrations of the C33 n-alkylcyclohexane show similar changes to the relative abundances of extinct spinose acritarchs (Veryhachium and Micrhystridium) indicating that the source organism of the C33 n-alkylcyclohexane is associated with the depositional environments/facies in which the acritarchs are identified. These organisms probably formed the cornerstone of the unique marine ecosystem that thrived in the extinction aftermath in the Early Triassic Ocean.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-256482017-09-13T15:51:05Z A potential biomarker for the Permian-Triassic ecological crisis Grice, Kliti Twitchett, R. Alexander, Robert Foster, C. Looy, Cindy Triassic extinction Permian biomarkers A unique biomarker, a C33 n-alkylcyclohexane (n-heptacosylcyclohexane), which strongly increases in abundance within the extinction interval of the end-Permian ecological crisis, is here reported from the key Permian–Triassic (P–Tr) marine section in Greenland. Prior to this study, this compound had been known from Early Triassic organic-rich marine rocks and oils from the northern Perth Basin, Western Australia for two decades. We have identified the compound in high relative abundance in 29 samples from P–Tr marine sections from two separate paleogeographic localities, from Laurasia and Gondwana. Relative concentrations of the C33 n-alkylcyclohexane show similar changes to the relative abundances of extinct spinose acritarchs (Veryhachium and Micrhystridium) indicating that the source organism of the C33 n-alkylcyclohexane is associated with the depositional environments/facies in which the acritarchs are identified. These organisms probably formed the cornerstone of the unique marine ecosystem that thrived in the extinction aftermath in the Early Triassic Ocean. 2005 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25648 10.1016/j.epsl.2005.05.008 Elsevier BV restricted
spellingShingle Triassic
extinction
Permian
biomarkers
Grice, Kliti
Twitchett, R.
Alexander, Robert
Foster, C.
Looy, Cindy
A potential biomarker for the Permian-Triassic ecological crisis
title A potential biomarker for the Permian-Triassic ecological crisis
title_full A potential biomarker for the Permian-Triassic ecological crisis
title_fullStr A potential biomarker for the Permian-Triassic ecological crisis
title_full_unstemmed A potential biomarker for the Permian-Triassic ecological crisis
title_short A potential biomarker for the Permian-Triassic ecological crisis
title_sort potential biomarker for the permian-triassic ecological crisis
topic Triassic
extinction
Permian
biomarkers
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25648