Abstract
The molecular composition of fossil resins from early to middle Eocene coal from northeast India, has been analyzed for the first time to infer their paleobotanical source. The soluble component of fossil resin was analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The resin extracts are composed of cadalene-based C15 sesquiterpenoids and diagenetically altered triterpenoids. The macromolecular composition was investigated using pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The major pyrolysis products are C15 bicyclic sesquiterpenoids, alkylated naphthalenes, benzenes and a series of C17–C34 n-alkene-n-alkane pairs. Spectroscopic analysis revealed the dominance of aliphatic components. The presence of cadalene-based sequiterpenoids confirms the resin to be Class II or dammar resin, derived from angiosperms of Dipterocarpaceae family. These sesquiterpenoids are often detected in many SE Asian fluvio-deltaic oils. Dipterocarpaceae are characteristic of warm tropical climate suggesting the prevalence of such climate during early Eocene in northeast India.
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Acknowledgements
Oil India Limited (OIL), Duliajan is acknowledged for providing financial support for the present research work. University Grants Commission (UGC) is also acknowledged for providing financial support to Arka Rudra. The authors thank Mr R K Bordoloi, OIL, Duliajan for analyzing the samples using Py-GC–MS. The authors are grateful to SAIF, IIT Bombay for giving access to FTIR instrument. IIT Bombay is acknowledged for providing support and infrastructure for research work. They are highly grateful to Prof. Ksenija Stojanović and an anonymous reviewer for their valuable inputs and comments. They also thank Prof. Anindya Sarkar, Associated Editor of the journal for handling the review process.
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Rudra, A., Dutta, S. & Raju, S.V. Molecular composition and paleobotanical origin of Eocene resin from northeast India. J Earth Syst Sci 123, 935–941 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-014-0443-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-014-0443-y