TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular paleohydrology
T2 - Interpreting the hydrogen-isotopic composition of lipid biomarkers from photosynthesizing organisms
AU - Sachse, Dirk
AU - Billault, Isabelle
AU - Bowen, Gabriel J.
AU - Chikaraishi, Yoshito
AU - Dawson, Todd E.
AU - Feakins, Sarah J.
AU - Freeman, Katherine H.
AU - Magill, Clayton R.
AU - McInerney, Francesca A.
AU - Van Der Meer, Marcel T.J.
AU - Polissar, Pratigya
AU - Robins, Richard J.
AU - Sachs, Julian P.
AU - Schmidt, Hanns Ludwig
AU - Sessions, Alex L.
AU - White, James W.C.
AU - West, Jason B.
AU - Kahmen, Ansgar
PY - 2012/5
Y1 - 2012/5
N2 - Hydrogen-isotopic abundances of lipid biomarkers are emerging as important proxies in the study of ancient environments and ecosystems. A decade ago, pioneering studies made use of new analytical methods and demonstrated that the hydrogen-isotopic composition of individual lipids from aquatic and terrestrial organisms can be related to the composition of their growth (i.e., environmental) water. Subsequently, compound-specific deuteriumhydrogen (DH) ratios of sedimentary biomarkers have been increasingly used as paleohydrological proxies over a range of geological timescales. Isotopic fractionation observed between hydrogen in environmental water and hydrogen in lipids, however, is sensitive to biochemical, physiological, and environmental influences on the composition of hydrogen available for biosynthesis in cells. Here we review the factors and processes that are known to influence the hydrogen-isotopic compositions of lipid-sespecially n-alkanes-from photosynthesizing organisms, and we provide a framework for interpreting their DH ratios from ancient sediments and identify future research opportunities.
AB - Hydrogen-isotopic abundances of lipid biomarkers are emerging as important proxies in the study of ancient environments and ecosystems. A decade ago, pioneering studies made use of new analytical methods and demonstrated that the hydrogen-isotopic composition of individual lipids from aquatic and terrestrial organisms can be related to the composition of their growth (i.e., environmental) water. Subsequently, compound-specific deuteriumhydrogen (DH) ratios of sedimentary biomarkers have been increasingly used as paleohydrological proxies over a range of geological timescales. Isotopic fractionation observed between hydrogen in environmental water and hydrogen in lipids, however, is sensitive to biochemical, physiological, and environmental influences on the composition of hydrogen available for biosynthesis in cells. Here we review the factors and processes that are known to influence the hydrogen-isotopic compositions of lipid-sespecially n-alkanes-from photosynthesizing organisms, and we provide a framework for interpreting their DH ratios from ancient sediments and identify future research opportunities.
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U2 - 10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105535
DO - 10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105535
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84860520851
SN - 0084-6597
VL - 40
SP - 221
EP - 249
JO - Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences
JF - Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences
ER -
