In:
Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Annual Reviews, Vol. 40, No. 1 ( 2012-05-30), p. 221-249
Abstract:
Hydrogen-isotopic abundances of lipid biomarkers are emerging as important proxies in the study of ancient environments and ecosystems. A decade ago, pioneering studies made use of new analytical methods and demonstrated that the hydrogen-isotopic composition of individual lipids from aquatic and terrestrial organisms can be related to the composition of their growth (i.e., environmental) water. Subsequently, compound-specific deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) ratios of sedimentary biomarkers have been increasingly used as paleohydrological proxies over a range of geological timescales. Isotopic fractionation observed between hydrogen in environmental water and hydrogen in lipids, however, is sensitive to biochemical, physiological, and environmental influences on the composition of hydrogen available for biosynthesis in cells. Here we review the factors and processes that are known to influence the hydrogen-isotopic compositions of lipids—especially n-alkanes—from photosynthesizing organisms, and we provide a framework for interpreting their D/H ratios from ancient sediments and identify future research opportunities.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0084-6597
,
1545-4495
DOI:
10.1146/earth.2012.40.issue-1
DOI:
10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105535
Language:
English
Publisher:
Annual Reviews
Publication Date:
2012
detail.hit.zdb_id:
124813-3
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2010309-8
SSG:
16,13
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