The mapping and differentiation of biological and environmental elemental signatures in the fossil remains of a 50 million year old bird

Egerton, Victoria M.; Wogelius, Roy A.; Norell, Mark A.; Edwards, Nicholas P.; Sellers, William I.; Bergmann, Uwe; Sokaras, Dimosthenis; Alonso-Mori, Roberto; Ignatyev, Konstantin; van Veelen, Arjen; Anné, Jennifer; van Dongen, Bart; Knoll, Fabien; Manning, Phillip L.

doi:10.1039/C4JA00395K

Title: The mapping and differentiation of biological and environmental elemental signatures in the fossil remains of a 50 million year old bird

Journal Article · Thu Jan 22 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/C4JA00395K· OSTI ID:1214947

Egerton, Victoria M. ^[1]; Wogelius, Roy A. ^[1]; Norell, Mark A. ^[2]; Edwards, Nicholas P. ^[1]; Sellers, William I. ^[1]; Bergmann, Uwe ^[3]; Sokaras, Dimosthenis ^[3]; Alonso-Mori, Roberto ^[3]; Ignatyev, Konstantin ^[4]; van Veelen, Arjen ^[1]; Anné, Jennifer ^[1]; van Dongen, Bart ^[1]; Knoll, Fabien ^[1]; Manning, Phillip L. ^[5]

Univ. of Manchester (United Kingdom)
American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), New York, NY (United States). Division of Paleontology
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Diamond Light Source, Didcot (United Kingdom)
Univ. of Manchester (United Kingdom); American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), New York, NY (United States). Division of Paleontology

The preservation of fossils reflects the interplay of inorganic and organic chemical processes, which should be clearly differentiated to make interpretations about the biology of extinct organisms. A new coliiformes bird (mouse bird) from the ~50 million year old Green River Formation (Wyoming, USA) has here been analysed using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and environmental scanning electron microscopy with an attached X-ray energy dispersive system (ESEM-EDS). The concentration and distribution of 16 elements (Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mg, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Ba, Hg) has been mapped for individual points on the sample. S, Cu and Zn map distinctly within visibly preserved feathers and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) shows that S and Cu within the feathers are organically bound in a similar manner to modern feathers. The morphological preservation of the feathers, on both macro- and microscopic scales, is variable throughout the fossil and the differences in the lateral microfacies have resulted in a morphological preservation gradient. This study clearly differentiates endogenous organic remains from those representing exogenous overprinted geochemical precipitates and illustrates the chemical complexity of the overall taphonomic process.

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Research Organization:: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: NE/J023426/1

OSTI ID:: 1214947

Journal Information:: Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, Vol. 30, Issue 3; ISSN 0267-9477

Publisher:: Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 25 works

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