Evaluation of paleoenvironment using terpenoid biomarkers in lignites and plant fossil from the Miocene Tokiguchi Porcelain Clay Formation at the Onada mine, Tajimi, central Japan

• Sawada, Ken

• Nakamura, Hideto

• Arai, Takaaki

• Tsukagoshi, Minoru

Abstract

We investigated terpenoid biomarkers in muds from lignite seams, clays from porcelain clay beds that slightly contain lignite, and from a conifer cone macrofossil from the Miocene Tokiguchi Porcelain Clay Formation of the Tokai Group in central Japan, as well as extant cones. The n-alkanes, n-alkanols (suberin origin), diterpenoids (conifer origin), hopanoids (bacteria origin) and steroids were mainly present in the lignite-containing muds and clays. On the other hand, the diterpenoids, triterpenoids (angiosperm origin), hopanoids and steroids were detected as major component in the conifer cone macrofossil. In addition, the diterpenoids were mainly detected in the extant conifer cones. The low hopane isomer ratios and the detection of biosterols are confirmed to be immature in the lignite, sediment and macrofossil in the formation. The stanol/sterol ratio values of the lignite-containing muds and clays are much higher than that of the macrofossil. The higher ratios in lignite-containing muds and clays are possibly attributed to enhanced microbial reduction of organic matter under reduced condition in the swampy environments. A large amount of angiosperm-derived triterpenoids detected in the conifer cone macrofossil are considered as contaminants in the sample from sedimentary organic particles originated from detrital waxes of angiosperms. Such contamination might occur by migration of organic compounds within sediment after deposition. The angiosperm-derived polar terpenoids may be hardly affected by contamination by migration of organic matter from the adjacent sediments because these are less abundant in the conifer macrofossil. Thus, it is suggested that the polar terpenoid biomarkers are more reliable as paleochemotaxonomic and paleovegetation indicators. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Journal

• International Journal of Coal Geology

  International Journal of Coal Geology 107 78-89, 2013-03-01

  Elsevier

Keywords

• Lignite
• Plant macrofossil
• Polar terpenoid biomarker
• Fluvial system
• Swampy environment
• Contamination

Details

• CRID: 1050282813990114560
• NII Article ID: 120005228654
• HANDLE: 2115/52672
• ISSN: 01665162
• Text Lang: en
• Article Type: journal article
• Data Source:
  • IRDB
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN