Preservation of Chitin in 25-Million-Year-Old Fossils

Chitin is present in fossil insects from the Oligocene (24.7 million years ago) lacustrine shales of Enspel, Germany. This result, which was obtained by analytical pyrolysis, extends by nearly 25 million years the length of time that chemically detectable remains of this biomolecule are known to sur...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1997-06, Vol.276 (5318), p.1541-1543
Main Authors: Stankiewicz, B. Arthur, Derek E. G. Briggs, Evershed, Richard P., Flannery, Matthew B., Wuttke, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Animal cuticle
Arthropods
Beetles
Chemicals
Chemistry
Chitin
Computer Peripherals
Diatoms
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Fossil insects
Fossils
Geology
Insects
Invertebrate paleontology
Laboratory Experiments
Molecules
Paleontology
Pyrolysis
Sediments
Shales
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Summary:Chitin is present in fossil insects from the Oligocene (24.7 million years ago) lacustrine shales of Enspel, Germany. This result, which was obtained by analytical pyrolysis, extends by nearly 25 million years the length of time that chemically detectable remains of this biomolecule are known to survive. The embedding sediment is dominated by diatoms, which reflect high productivity in the paleolake. The primary control on the preservation of chitin is thus not time; it may persist in older sediments where suitable paleoenvironmental conditions prevailed.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.276.5318.1541