Year: 1983
Type: article
Abstract: A sample, representing the youngest sedimentary material, was taken from the sediment-water interface under the Peru upwelling, and examined for steroidal compounds.Forty-five different sterols were identified, ranging from C26-C3o in concentrations up to 104.6 Jlg/g of dry sediment.Much smaller amounts of stanones and steryl methyl ethers were also present.Mineralogical analysis indicates that diatoms and silicoflagellates form a major part of the sedimentary material, and the sterols are believed principally to represent this large phytoplankton input.The presence of 4-methyl-sterols, however, is not readily explicable on the basis of the observed phytoplankton remains, and may be indicative of another, uncharacterised, phytoplankton source.Limited diagenetic modification of the sterols has probably occurred, as the leve! of stanols is greater than that generally associated with plankton.The stanones may thus be intermediates in a steno!reduction process; however, it is possible that a direct biological input will also have contributed to both the stanols and stanones present.Further diagenetic alteration of sterols to form sterenes was not evident.
Authors: Smith, Dj, Eglinton, G, Morris, Rj, Poutanen, El
Institution: University of Bristol
Language: English
Subfield: Paleontology
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2182868322