Record Details

Direct chemical evidence for eumelanin pigment from the Jurassic period

DSpace at IIT Bombay

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Title Direct chemical evidence for eumelanin pigment from the Jurassic period
 
Creator GLASS, K
ITO, S
WILBY, PR
SOTA, T
NAKAMURA, A
BOWERS, CR
VINTHER, J
DUTTA, S
SUMMONS, R
BRIGGS, DEG
WAKAMATSU, K
SIMON, JD
 
Subject OXFORD CLAY FORMATION
ELECTRON-SPIN RESONANCE
5,6-DIHYDROXYINDOLE-2-CARBOXYLIC ACID
SEPIA-OFFICINALIS
MELANIN
HAIR
MELANOGENESIS
SPECTROSCOPY
PHEOMELANIN
MELANOSOMES
 
Description Melanin is a ubiquitous biological pigment found in bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. It has a diverse range of ecological and biochemical functions, including display, evasion, photoprotection, detoxification, and metal scavenging. To date, evidence of melanin in fossil organisms has relied entirely on indirect morphological and chemical analyses. Here, we apply direct chemical techniques to categorically demonstrate the preservation of eumelanin in two >160 Ma Jurassic cephalopod ink sacs and to confirm its chemical similarity to the ink of the modern cephalopod, Sepia officinalis. Identification and characterization of degradation-resistant melanin may provide insights into its diverse roles in ancient organisms.
 
Publisher NATL ACAD SCIENCES
 
Date 2014-10-16T13:30:00Z
2014-10-16T13:30:00Z
2012
 
Type Article
 
Identifier PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 109(26)10218-10223
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1118448109
http://dspace.library.iitb.ac.in/jspui/handle/100/15669
 
Language en