Migration of Organic Molecules from Sediment to Fossils - Biopolymers: A Molecular Paleontology Approach - page 77

Fig. 4.1 Fossils from the
Oligocene Enspel Formation,
Germany. ( a ) Dicotyledon
leaf, ( b ) conifer, ( c , d )
weevils showing strong
sclerotization of the cuticle.
( c ) Specimen in oblique
ventral view showing the
characteristic rostrum, the
right elytron overlying the
body, and the abdominal
sternites. The posterior
extremity of the abdomen
was removed for microscopy
and the remaining specimen
was used for the chemical
analyses. ( d ) Specimen in
ventral view showing thoracic
limbs
Analytical Protocol
The fi rst fraction of the extracted residue was analysed by normal fl ash pyrolysis
(Py-GC-MS). This involves the thermal fragmentation of the chemical constituents
of a sample at high temperatures in an inert medium. These fragments are then
separated and identifi ed by GC-MS (Collinson et al. 2000 ; Kralert et al. 1995 ;