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Terpenoids in resinites from middle Cretaceous karst infillings in the Rhenish Massif (Rhineland, Germany): botanical source and preservation

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Abstract

Resinites from middle Cretaceous infillings of karst structures exposed in two limestone quarries in the Rhenish Massif, Germany, were analyzed for their terpenoid biomarker signatures using GC–MS to infer their original plant sources and depositional history. The total solvent extracts of the resinites were composed mostly of mono-, sesqui- and diterpenoids. The predominant compounds in all resinite extracts were diterpenoids derived from the abietane, isopimarane, pimarane, and labdane classes. These resinite compositions are characteristic for conifer resins, thus interpreted as derived from such sources. Based on the mono- and diterpenoid chemistry, alteration of these resinites occurred mainly prior to transportation and final burial. The results show that these terpenoids are excellent molecular markers for the chemosystematic assignment of resinites preserved dissociated from their plant sources.

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Acknowledgements

Erika Murek and Agnes Viehofen (then with the Geological Survey North Rhine-Westphalia) processed the samples and picked the resinite bodies from the residues. Lhoist Germany Rheinkalk GmbH and Kalkwerke H. Oetelshofen GmbH & Co. KG provided access to the quarries Rohdenhaus-Süd and Osterholz, respectively. All support is gratefully acknowledged. Finally, we respectfully acknowledge and thank our coauthor, Prof. Bernd (Bernie) RT Simoneit, who passed away before we could publish this paper—we  tied up this loose end and couldn’t have done it without you!

Funding

Field work, excavations in the Osterholz and Rohdenhaus-Süd quarries and sample processing in the laboratory were partially funded by the Ministerium für Heimat, Kommunales, Bau und Digitalisierung des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen and the LVR-Amt für Bodendenkmalpflege im Rheinland through the Denkmalförderprogramm.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Christoph Hartkopf-Fröder

    Present address: Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 49a, 50674, Köln, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Bernd R. T. Simoneit & Angelika Otto

  2. 2220 Kinshasa Place Apt 268, Dulles, VA, 20189-2222, USA

    Daniel R. Oros

  3. Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Volker Wilde

  4. Geological Survey North Rhine-Westphalia, De-Greiff-Str. 195, 47803, Krefeld, Germany

    Christoph Hartkopf-Fröder

Authors
  1. Bernd R. T. Simoneit
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  2. Daniel R. Oros
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  3. Angelika Otto
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  4. Christoph Hartkopf-Fröder
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  5. Volker Wilde
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Correspondence to Daniel R. Oros.

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The original online version of this article was revised due to change in co-author’s affiliations.

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Simoneit, B.R.T., Oros, D.R., Otto, A. et al. Terpenoids in resinites from middle Cretaceous karst infillings in the Rhenish Massif (Rhineland, Germany): botanical source and preservation. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-023-02351-0

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