Summary
Biomarker investigations were applied to the hydrocarbon fractions of three Recent (cyanobacterial mat, Lake Van microbialite and Lake Satonda microbialite) and two Late Jurassic carbonate samples obtained from sponge bioherms. The relative concentrations ofn-alkanes, monomethyl alkanes, acyclic isoprenoids, steroids and hopanoids in these samples are studied and their probable biological precursors are discussed. Normal alkanes with carbon chain lengths ranging from C15 to C34 and monomethyl alkanes ranging from C17 to C21 with a varying methyl branching pattern are found. The major hydrocarbons are low molecular weight (LMW)n-alkanes (C15–C21) with a slight to strong predominance ofn-heptadecane (C17). High molecular weight (HMW)n-alkanes occur in low to moderate relative concentrations showing a preference of odd-carbon numbered compounds with a maximum at C29. Within the acyclic isoprenoids, pristane, phytane/phytene, pentamethyl-eicosane, squalane and lycopane could be identified. Polycyclic terpenoids of the sterane and/or hopane type are present in all carbonate samples. The carbon numbers of these components range from 27 to 29 and 27 to 32, respectively. These organic compounds identified can be attributed to various source organisms such as cyanobacteria, archaebacteria, algae and vascular plants. All hydrocarbon fractions of the samples are characterized by moderate to high relative concentrations of compounds derived from cyanobacteria, signifying the role of these organisms as contributors to the Recent as well as to the Late Jurassic carbonate deposits.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bird, C. W. &Lynch, J. M. (1974): Formation of hydrocarbons by microorganisms.—Chem. Soc. Rev.,3, 309–328, London
Bird, C. W., Lynch, J. M., Pirt, S. J. &Reid, W. W. (1971): The identification of hop-22(29)-ene in prokaryotic organisms.— Tetrah. Lett.34, 3189–3190, Oxford
Boon, J. J., Hines, H., Burlingame, A. L., Klok, J., Ripastra, I. C., De Leeuw, J. W., Edmunds, K. E. &Eglinton, G. (1983): Organic geochemical studies of Solar Lake laminated cyanobacterial mats.—In:Bjory, M. et al. (eds.): Advances in Organic Geochemistry 1981, 207–227, Chichester (Wiley)
Brassell, S. C., Wardroper, A. M. K., Thomson, I. D., Maxwell, J. R. &Eglinton, G. (1981): Specific acyclic isoprenoids as biological markers of methanogenic bacteria in marine sediments.—Nature290, 693–696, London
Bray, E. E. &Evans, E. D. (1961): Distribution ofn-paraffins as a clue to recognition of source beds.—Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta22, 2–15, Oxford
Chappe, B., Albrecht, P., &Michaelis, W. (1982): Polar lipids of archaebacteria in sediments and petroleum.—Science217, 65–66, Washington D.C.
Danulat, E. &Kempe, S. (1991): Nitrogenous waste excretion and accumulation of urea and ammonia inCalcalburnus tarichii (Cyprinidae), endemic to the extremely alkaline Lake Van (Eastern Turkey).—Fish Physiol. Biochem.9, 377–386.
de Rosa, M., Gambacorta, A. &Minale, L. (1971): Bacterial triterpanes.—Chem. Commun.1971, 619–620, London
Didyk, B. M., Simoneit, B. R. T., Brassell, S. C. &Eglinton, G. (1978): Organic geochemical indicators of paleoenvironmental conditions of sedimentation.—Nature242, 216–222, London
Eglinton, G. &Calvin, M. (1967): Chemical fossils.—Sci. Am.216, 32–43, New York
Eglinton, G. &Hamilton, R.J. (1967): Leaf epicuticular waxes.— Science156, 1322–1335, Washington D.C.
Eglinton, G. (1973): Chemical fossils: a combined organic geochemical and environmental approach.—Pure & Appl. Chem.34, 611–632, Oxford
Fisher, D.J., Holloway, P.J. &Richmond, D.V. (1972): Fatty acid and hydrocarbon constituents of the surface and wall lipids of some fungal spores.—J. Gen. Microbiol.72, 71–78, London
Gelpi, E., Schneider, H., Mann, J. &Oró, J. (1970): Hydrocarbons of geochemical significance in microscopic algae.—Phytochem.9, 603–612, Oxford
Gessner, F. (1957): Van Gölü. Zur Limnologie des großen Soda-Sees in Ostanatolien.—Arch. f. Hydrobiol.53/1, 1–22, Stuttgart
Goosens, H., de Leeuw, J. W., Schenck, P. A. &Brassel, S. C. (1984): Tocopherols as likely precursors of pristane in ancient sediments and crude oils.—Nature312, 440–442, London
Goossens, H., Rijpstra, W. I. C., Düren, R. R., de Leeuw, J. W. &Schenck, P. A. (1986): Bacterial contribution to sedimentary organic matter; a comparative study of lipid moieties in bacteria and recent sediments.—Org. Geochem.10, 683–696, Oxford
Grimalt, J. O., de Wit, R., Teixidor, P. &Albaiges, J. (1992): Lipid biogeochemistry ofPhormidium andMicrocoleus mats.—Org. Geochem.19, 509–530, Oxford
Grimalt, J., Albaiges, J., Alexander, G. &Hazai, I. (1986): Predominance of even carbon-numberedn-alkanes in coal seam samples of Nograd Basin (Hungary).—Naturwiss.73, 729–731, Berlin
Han, J. &Calvin, M. (1969): Hydrocarbon distribution of algae and bacteria, and microbial activity in sediments.—Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA64, 436–443, Washington D. C.
Han, J., McCarthy, E. D., Calvin, M. & Benn, M. H. (1968): Hydrocarbon constituents of the blue-green algaeNostoc muscurum, Anacystis nidulans, Phormidium luridum andChlorogloea fritschii.—J. Chem. Soc. C 2785–2791, London
Han, J., McCarthy, E. D., van Hoeven, W., Calvin, M. &Bradlay, W. H. (1980): Organic geochemical studies, II. A preliminary report on the distribution of aliphatic hydrocarbons in algae, in bacteria, and in a recent lake sediment.—Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA59, 29–37, Washington D. C.
Hauer, J. (1957): Rotatorien aus dem Plankton des Van Sees.— Arch. f. Hydrobiol.53/1, 23–29, Stuttgart
Hefter, J. (1992): Biogeochemie rezenter Mikrobialithe.—Unpubl. Dipl. Arb., Hamburg. 124 p.
Holzer, G., Oro, J. &Tornabene, T. G. (1979): Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of neutral lipids from methanogenic and thermoacidophilic bacteria.—J. Chromatogr.186, 795–809, Amsterdam
Ikan, R., Baedecker M. J. &Kaplan, I. R. (1975): Thermal alteration experiments on organic matter in recent marine sediments—II. Isoprenoids.—Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta39, 187–194, Oxford, New York
Illich, H. A. (1983): Pristane, phytane, and lower molecular weight isoprenoid distributions in oils.—Amer. Ass. Petrol. Geol. Bull.67, 385–393, Tulsa
Kempe, S. &Konuk, T. (1989): Fahrtbericht zur 2. Internationalen Van See Expedition.—43 p., Hamburg (Selbstverlag Univ. Hamburg).
Kempe S. (1977): Hydrographie, Warven-Chronologie und organische Geochemie des Van-Sees, Ost-Türkeit.—Mitt. Geol.-Paläontol. Inst. Univ. Hamburg,47, 25–228, Hamburg
Kempe, S. (1990): Alkalinity: the link between anaerobic basins and shallow water carbonates?—Naturwiss.77, 426–427 Berlin
Kempe, S. &Kazmierczak, J. (1990): Chemistry and stromatolites of the sea-linked Satonda Crater Lake, Indonesia: A recent model for the Precambrian sea?—Chem. Geol.81, 299–310, Amsterdam
Kempe, S. &Kazmierczak, J. (1993): Satonda Crater Lake, Indonesia: Hydrogeochemistry and Biocarbonates.—Facies28, 1–32, Erlangen
Kempe, S., Kazmierczak, J., Landmann, G., Konuk, T., Reimer, A. &Lipp, A. (1991): Largest known microbialites discovered in Lake Van, Turkey.—Nature349, 605–608, London
Keupp, H., Koch, R. &Leinfelder, R. (1990): Steuerungsprozesse der Entwicklung von Oberjura-Spongiolithen Süddeutschlands: Kenntnisstand, Probleme und Perspektiven.—Facies23, 141–174, Erlangen
Keupp, H., Rehfeld-Kiefer, U. &Kempe, S. (1992): Arbeitsbericht zum DFG-Projekt Ke 322/10-2. Paläobiologische Steuerung-sprozesse bei der Entwicklung von Spongiolithen im Oberjura Süddeutschlands, 1–9, (Unpubl.), Berlin
Kolattukudy, P. E. (1970): Plant waxes.—Lipids5, 259–275, Chicago
Lang, B. (1989): Die Schwamm-Biohermfazies der Nördlichen Frankenalb (Urspring: Oxford, Malm): Mikrofazies, Palökologie, Paläontologie.—Facies20, 199–274, Erlangen
Langworthy, T. A. (1985): Lipids of archaebacteria.—In:Woese, C. R. &Wolfe, R. S. (eds.): The Bacteria. A Treatise on Structure and Function. VIII: Archaebacteria, 459–497, New York (Academic Press)
Mackenzie, A. S., Brassell, S. C., Eglinton, G. &Maxwell, J. R. (1982): Chemical fossils: The geological fate of steroids.— Science217, 491–504, Washington D. C.
Merdinger, E. &Devine, E. M. (1965): Lipids ofDebaryomyces hansenii.—J. Bacteriol.89, 1488–1493, New York
Michaelis, W., Jenisch, A., Richnow, H. H., Kruse, U. & Mycke, B. (1988): Organofazies des Ölschiefers von Messel.—In:Franzen, J. L. & Michaelis, W. (eds.): Der eozäne Messelsee. Cour. Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg107, 89–103, Frankfurt
Mycke, B., Narjes, F. &Michaelis, W. (1987): Bacteriohopanetetrol from chemical degradation of an oil shale kerogen.—Nature326, 179–181, London
Ourisson, G. (1986): Vom Erdöl zur Evolution der Biomembranen. —Nachr. Chem. Tech. Lab.34/1, 8–12, Weinheim
Ourisson, G., Albrecht, P. &Rohmer, M. (1979): The hopanoids. Paleochemistry and biochemistry of a group of natural products. —Pure & Appl. Chem.51, 709–729, Oxford
Paoletti, C., Pushparaj, B., Florenzano, G., Capella, P. &Lercker, G. (1976): Unsaponifiable matter of green and blue-green algal lipids as a factor of biochemical differentiation of their biomasses: I. Total unsaponifiable and hydrocarbon fraction.— Lipids11/4, 258–265, Chicago
Peters, K. E. &Moldowan, J. M. (1993): The Biomarker Guide—Interpreting Molecular Fossils in Petroleum and Ancient Sediments. 363 S., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey (Prentice Hall)
Pflug, H. D. (1978): Yeast-like microfossils detected in oldest sediments of the Earth.—Naturwiss.65, 611–615, Berlin
Philp, R. P. (1985): Fossil Fuel Biomarkers. Applications and spectra. 294 S., Amsterdam (Elsevier)
Philp, R. P., Brown, S. &Calvin, M. (1978): Hydrocarbon and fatty acid distributions in recently deposited algal mats at Laguna Guerrero, Baja California.—In:Krumbein, W. E. (ed.): Environmental Biogeochemistry and GeomicrobiologyI, 255–271, Michigan (Ann Arbor Sci. Publ.)
Rohmer, M., Bouvier-Nave, P. &Ourisson, G. (1984): Distribution of hopanoid triterpenes in pokaryotes. —J. Gen. Microbiol.130, 1137–1150, London
Rowland, S. J. (1990): Production of acyclic isoprenoid hydrocarbons by laboratory maturation of methanogenic bacteria.—Organic Geochemistry15, 9–16, Oxford
Schlegel, H. G. (1985): Allgemeine Mikrobiologie.— 6. ed., 461 p., Stuttgart, New York (Thieme)
Selg, M. &Wagenplast, P. (1990): Beckenarchitektur im süddeutschen Jura und die Bildung der Schwammriffe.—Jh. geol. Landesamt Baden-Württemberg32, 171–206, Freiburg i. Br.
Shiea, J., Brassell, S. C. &Ward, D. M. (1990): Mid-chain branched mono- and dimethyl alkane in hot spring cyanobacterial mats: A direct biogenic source for branched alkanes in ancient sediments?—Org. Geochem.,15, 223–231, Oxford
Smith, P. F. (1988): Archaebacteria and other specialized bacteria.—In:Ratledge C. &Wilkinson, S. G. (eds.): Microbial Lipids (Vol. I): 489–553, London (Academic Press)
ten Haven, H. L., de Leeuw, J. W., Rullkötter, J. &Sinninghe Damste, J. S. (1987): Restricted utility of the pristane/phytane ratio as a paleo-environmental indicator.—Nature330, 641–643, London
Thiel, V. (1993): Untersuchungen von Biomarkern als Faziesindikatoren für limnische Ablagerungsräume.— Unpubl. Dipl. Arb., Univ. Hamburg, 136 p.
Thiele, O. W. (1979): Lipide, Isoprenoide mit Steroiden.—415 p, Hamburg (Thieme)
Tissot, B. P. &Welte, D. H., (1984): Petroleum Formation and Occurrence.—2. Aufl., 699 p., Berlin (Springer)
Treibs, A. (1934): Chlorophyll- und Häminderivate in bituminösen Gesteinen, Erdölen, Erdwachsen und Asphalten. Ein Beitrag zur Entstehung des Erdöls.—Liebigs Ann.510, 42–62, Weinheim
Tulloch, A. P. (1976): Chemistry of waxes of higher plants.—In:Kolattukudy, P. E. (ed.): Chemistry and Biochemistry of Natural Waxes, 235–287, Amsterdam (Elsevier)
van Niel, C. B. (1963): A survey of the photosynthetic bacteria.— In:Guest, E., San Pietro, A. & Vernon, L. P. (eds.): Bacterial Photosynthesis, 459–467 (Antioch Press)
van Zeist, W. &Woldring, H. (1978): A pollen profile from Lake Van.—In:Degens, E. T. &Kurtman, F. (eds.): The Geology of Lake Van. MTA Press169, 115–123, Ankara
Volkman, J. K. (1986): A review of sterol markers for marine and terrigenous organic matter.—Org. Geochem.9, 83–99, Oxford
Wakeham, S. G., Freeman, K. H., Pease, T. K. &Hayes, J. M. (1993): A photoautotrophic source for lycopane in marine water columns.—Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta57, 159–165, Oxford
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hefter, J., Thiel, V., Jenisch, A. et al. Biomarker indications for microbial contribution to Recent and Late Jurassic carbonate deposits. Facies 29, 93–105 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02536922
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02536922