IDENTITY OF BIOMARKER MOLECULES FROM MISSISSIPPIAN (PALEOZOIC) CRINOIDS

Fringelites (polynuclear aromatic quinones) have been isolated from Jurassic crinoids (Blumer, 1951; Falk, 1999 and Wolkenstein, 2005), but recently simpler organic molecules have been extracted directly from Paleozoic (Mississippian) fossils (O'Malley, 2006). These Paleozoic biomarker molecules were isolated from Lower Mississippian crinoids that have retained some color differentiation as fossilized remains.

Using excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy, these molecules were tentatively identified as “quinone-like” based upon the EEMs derived from pure quinone standards. We separated and further purified these substances using reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Molecules from living crinoids include substituted anthraquinones and naphthoquinones; and are much simpler than the fringelites found in Jurassic crinoids. Because of the encapsulation of these substances within the crinoid structure it is feasible that these “quinone-like” molecules could be preserved in Paleozoic fossils. In addition to molecules from Paleozoic crinoids, we report a substituted anthraquinone from a Jurassic crinoid.

The occurrence of specific organic molecules suggests that these substances should reflect original biotic distinctions. This is supported because the occurrence and distribution of the biomarkers in Paleozoic crinoids compares favorably with crinoid phylogeny developed using morphology.