Compression map, functional groups and fossilization: A chemometric approach (Pennsylvanian neuropteroid foliage, Canada)
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Nearly all of the spectrochemical studies involving Carboniferous foliage of seed-ferns are based on a limited number of pinnules, mainly compressions. In contrast, in this paper we illustrate working with a larger pinnate segment, i.e., a 22-cm long neuropteroid specimen, compression-preserved with cuticle, the compression map. The objective is to study preservation variability on a larger scale, where observation of transparency/opacity of constituent pinnules is used as a first approximation for assessing the degree of pinnule coalification/fossilization. Spectrochemical methods by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry furnish semi-quantitative data for principal component analysis.
The compression map shows a high degree of preservation variability, which ranges from comparatively more coalified pinnules to less coalified pinnules that resemble fossilized-cuticles, noting that the pinnule midveins are preserved more like fossilized-cuticles. A general overall trend of coalified pinnules towards fossilized-cuticles, i.e., variable chemistry, is inferred from the semi-quantitative FTIR data as higher contents of aromatic compounds occur in the visually more opaque upper location of the compression map. The latter also shows a higher condensation of the aromatic nuclei along with some variation in both ring size and degree of aromatic substitution. From principal component analysis we infer correspondence between transparency/opacity observation and chemical information which correlate with varying degree to fossilization/coalification among pinnules.
Study Area
Publication type | Article |
---|---|
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Title | Compression map, functional groups and fossilization: A chemometric approach (Pennsylvanian neuropteroid foliage, Canada) |
Series title | International Journal of Coal Geology |
DOI | 10.1016/j.coal.2011.11.009 |
Volume | 90-91 |
Year Published | 2012 |
Language | English |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Description | 7 p. |
First page | 149 |
Last page | 155 |
Country | Canada |
State | Nova Scotia |
Other Geospatial | Sydney Coalfield |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |