Organic Preservation of Biopolymers in Fossil Leaves - Biopolymers: A Molecular Paleontology Approach - page 60

Quercus hispanica specimen 1

c 16

a

C 18

Pr1

Lignin, aromatics and short chain acids

C 14

C 18:1

C 16

b

C 18

C 14

C 18:1

C 8

C 12

C 10

C 26

C 30

C 22 C 24

C 20

C 28

Retention time

Fig. 3.10 Partial total ion current chromatogram of fossil Quercushispanica sp1 under TMAH
conditions ( a ) m/z 74 + 87 mass chromatogram ( b ) revealing the distribution of fatty acyl moieties
(for details on lignin moieties under TMAH conditions see Hatcher and Clifford 1994 ; Hatcher
et al. 1995 ; Clifford et al. 1995 ; Almendros et al. 1998 , 1999 )

Minard 1995 ); humic material (Saiz-Jimenez 1994 ; Martin et al. 1994 ; del Río et al.
1994 ), coalifi ed wood and kerogen (del Río et al. 1994 ). This technique has also been
applied to plant fossil cuticles (Almendros et al. 1998 , 1999 ). Thermochemolysis
reveals that C 16 and C 18 fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and pristenes are abundant