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Restricted utility of the pristane/phytane ratio as a palaeoenvironmental indicator

Nature volume 330, pages 641–643 (1987)Cite this article

Abstract

The acyclic C19 and C20 isoprenoid hydrocarbons, pristane (Pr) and phytane (Ph), respectively, have been widely assumed to be diagenetic products of the phytyl side chain of chlorophyll1–3, although alternative sources of precursors have been suggested. The ratio of these two compounds is usually interpreted to be an indicator of the oxicity of the environment of deposition3,4. Recent advances in organic geochemistry in combination with geological constraints lead us to suggest that the Pr/Ph ratio cannot be used as an indicator for oxygen levels. However, in hypersaline environments of deposition the rationale behind a low Pr/Ph ratio is easier to understand, and in these environments application of the Pr/Ph ratio can be expected to be successful.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Petroleum and Organic Geochemistry (ICH-5), KFA Jülich, PO Box 1913, D-5170, Jülich, FRG

    H. L. ten Haven & J. Rullkötter

  2. Organic Geochemistry Unit, Delft University of Technology, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, de Vries van Heystplantsoen 2, NL-2628 RZ, Delft, The Netherlands

    J. W. de Leeuw & J. S. Sinninghe Damsté

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  1. H. L. ten Haven
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  4. J. S. Sinninghe Damsté
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ten Haven, H., de Leeuw, J., Rullkötter, J. et al. Restricted utility of the pristane/phytane ratio as a palaeoenvironmental indicator. Nature 330, 641–643 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/330641a0

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