Synchrotron x-ray fluorescence analysis reveals diagenetic alteration of fossil melanosome trace metal chemistry

Rogers, Christopher S.; Webb, Samuel M.; McNamara, Maria E.

doi:10.1111/pala.12506

Title: Synchrotron x-ray fluorescence analysis reveals diagenetic alteration of fossil melanosome trace metal chemistry

Journal Article · Tue Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Palaeontology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/pala.12506· OSTI ID:1769619

Rogers, Christopher S. ^[1]; Webb, Samuel M. ^[2]; McNamara, Maria E. ^[1]

Univ. College Cork (United Kingdom)
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

A key feature of the pigment melanin is its high binding affinity for trace metal ions. In modern vertebrates trace metals associated with melanosomes, melanin-rich organelles, can show tissue-specific and taxon-specific distribution patterns. Such signals preserve in fossil melanosomes, informing on the anatomy and phylogenetic affinities of fossil vertebrates. Fossil and modern melanosomes, however, often differ in trace metal chemistry; in particular, melanosomes from fossil vertebrate eyes are depleted in Zn and enriched in Cu relative to their extant counterparts. Whether these chemical differences are biological or taphonomic in origin is unknown, limiting our ability to use melanosome trace metal chemistry to test palaeobiological hypotheses. Here, we use maturation experiments on eye melanosomes from extant vertebrates and synchrotron rapid scan-x-ray fluorescence analysis to show that thermal maturation can dramatically alter melanosome trace element chemistry. In particular, maturation of melanosomes in Cu-rich solutions results in significant depletion of Zn, probably due to low pH and competition effects with Cu. These results confirm fossil melanosome chemistry is susceptible to alteration due to variations in local chemical conditions during diagenesis. Maturation experiments can provide essential data on melanosome chemical taphonomy required for accurate interpretations of preserved chemical signatures in fossils.

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

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-76SF00515

OSTI ID:: 1769619

Journal Information:: Palaeontology, Vol. 64, Issue 1; ISSN 0031-0239

Publisher:: WileyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
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synchrotron x‐ray fluorescence

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