Fossil Lipids for Life-Detection: A Case Study from the Early Earth Record

摘要: The geological preservation of lipids from the cell membranes organisms bestows a precious record ancient life, especially for Precambrian eon (>542 million years ago) when Earth life was largely microbial. All produce that, if survive oxidative degradation, become molecular fossils entrained with information on biological diversity, environmental conditions, and post-depositional alteration history. As most biosignatures, fossil that is indigenous (of same place) syngenetic age) to host rocks can be compromised by introduction reaction foreign or younger materials (e.g., petroleum endolithic life). Deciphering resulting complex pool organic signals requires tests provenance overall quality geobiological itself. This paper reviews basis very existence lipid biochemistry mechanisms organic-matter geochemical alteration. A systematic approach resolving historical qualities presented in case study an early record. example demonstrates value context integration independent parameters, which are critical detection understanding ecological processes responsible records life.