Biomarkers from Huronian oil-bearing fluid inclusions: An uncontaminated record of life before the Great Oxidation Event

Abstract

Research Article| June 01, 2006 Biomarkers from Huronian oil-bearing fluid inclusions: An uncontaminated record of life before the Great Oxidation Event Adriana Dutkiewicz; Adriana Dutkiewicz 1School of Geosciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Herbert Volk; Herbert Volk 2 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation (CSIRO) Petroleum, P.O. Box 136, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Simon C. George; Simon C. George 2 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation (CSIRO) Petroleum, P.O. Box 136, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar John Ridley; John Ridley 3Department of Geosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1482, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Roger Buick Roger Buick 4Department of Earth and Space Sciences & Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1310, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Adriana Dutkiewicz 1School of Geosciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia Herbert Volk 2 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation (CSIRO) Petroleum, P.O. Box 136, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia Simon C. George 2 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation (CSIRO) Petroleum, P.O. Box 136, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia John Ridley 3Department of Geosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1482, USA Roger Buick 4Department of Earth and Space Sciences & Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1310, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 25 Oct 2005 Revision Received: 16 Jan 2006 Accepted: 19 Jan 2006 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 The Geological Society of America, Inc. Geology (2006) 34 (6): 437–440. https://doi.org/10.1130/G22360.1 Article history Received: 25 Oct 2005 Revision Received: 16 Jan 2006 Accepted: 19 Jan 2006 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Adriana Dutkiewicz, Herbert Volk, Simon C. George, John Ridley, Roger Buick; Biomarkers from Huronian oil-bearing fluid inclusions: An uncontaminated record of life before the Great Oxidation Event. Geology 2006;; 34 (6): 437–440. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G22360.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract We report detailed molecular geochemistry of oil-bearing fluid inclusions from a ca. 2.45 Ga fluvial metaconglomerate of the Matinenda Formation at Elliot Lake, Canada. The oil, most likely derived from the conformably overlying McKim Formation, was trapped in quartz and feldspar during diagenesis and early metamorphism of the host rock, probably before ca. 2.2 Ga. The presence of abundant biomarkers for cyanobacteria and eukaryotes derived from and trapped in rocks deposited before the Great Oxidation Event is consistent with an earlier evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis than previously thought and suggests that some aquatic settings had become sufficiently oxygenated for sterol biosynthesis by this time. It also implies that eukaryotes survived several extreme climatic events, including the Paleoproterozoic "snowball Earth" glaciations. The extraction of biomarker molecules from Paleoproterozoic oil-bearing fluid inclusions thus establishes a new method, using low detection limits and system blank levels, to trace evolution of life through Earth's early history that avoids the potential contamination problems affecting shale-hosted hydrocarbons. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.