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oa Molecular Characterization and Effect of Diagenesis and Maduration of Melanin in the Fossil Record
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 29th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry, Sep 2019, Volume 2019, p.1 - 2
Abstract
Abstract
Despite the fact that melanin is a ubiquitous pigment found in bacteria, fungi, plants and animals, little is known about its chemical preservation and its distribution in the fossil record. Melanins are polymeric phenolic compounds classified into two major groups based in their chemical structures and molecular precursors: eumelanin (dark brown-black in colour) and pheomelanin (orange-red in colour)1,2. Both eumelanin and pheomelanin are complex highly cross-linked biopolymers, being comparable to biomolecules like chitin that are resistant to microbial degradation and diagenetic alteration; which makes melanins potentially capable of maintaining their integrity for millions of years in the fossil record.
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