A5077043211- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping
- Geological and Geophysical Studies
- Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Geological Studies and Exploration
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Petroleum Processing and Analysis
- Plant biochemistry and biosynthesis
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Astro and Planetary Science
- Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Studies
- Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis
- Geological formations and processes
- Marine and coastal ecosystems
Australian National University
2016-2025
University of Liège
2021
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
2020
Harvard University
2003-2008
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2008
Planetary Science Institute
2003-2008
Harvard University Press
2003
The University of Sydney
1999
Geological Survey of Western Australia
1999
University of Freiburg
1997
We review recent observations and models concerning the dynamics of Cryogenian global glaciation their biological consequences.
Significance The advent of oxygenic photosynthesis set the stage for evolution complex life on an oxygenated planet, but it is unknown when this transformative biochemistry emerged. existing hydrocarbon biomarker record requires that and eukaryotes emerged more than 300 million years before Great Oxidation Event [∼2.4 billion ago (Ga)]. We report hopane sterane concentrations measured in new ultraclean Archean drill cores from Australia are comparable to blank concentrations, yet their...
The enigmatic Ediacara biota (571 million to 541 years ago) represents the first macroscopic complex organisms in geological record and may hold key our understanding of origin animals. Ediacaran macrofossils are as "strange life on another planet" have evaded taxonomic classification, with interpretations ranging from marine animals or giant single-celled protists terrestrial lichens. Here, we show that lipid biomarkers extracted organically preserved unambiguously clarify their phylogeny....
Abstract A geologically rapid Neoproterozoic oxygenation event is commonly linked to the appearance of marine animal groups in fossil record. However, there still debate about what evidence from sedimentary geochemical record—if any—provides strong support for a persistent shift surface oxygen immediately preceding rise animals. We present statistical learning analyses large dataset data and associated geological context Palaeozoic record then use Earth system modelling link trends...
Sterol biosynthesis is viewed primarily as a eukaryotic process, and the frequency of its occurrence in bacteria has long been subject controversy. Two enzymes, squalene monooxygenase oxidosqualene cyclase, are minimum necessary for initial sterols from squalene. In this work, 19 protein gene sequences 12 cyclase were compared with all available complete partial prokaryotic genomes. The only unequivocal matches sterol biosynthetic pathway proteobacterium, Methylococcus capsulatus , which...
Research Article| January 01, 2005 Building the Biomarker Tree of Life Jochen J. Brocks; Brocks School Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia, jochen.brocks@anu.edu.au Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ann Pearson Department & Planetary Harvard Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, U.S.A., pearson@eps.harvard.edu Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2005) 59 (1): 233–258. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2005.59.10 Article...
The period 800-717 million years (Ma) ago, in the lead-up to Sturtian Snowball glaciation, saw an increase diversity of eukaryotic microfossils. To afford independent and complementary view this evolutionary period, study presents distribution biomarkers from three pre-Sturtian successions across supercontinent Rodinia: ca. 780 Ma Kanpa Formation Western Australian Officer Basin, 800-740 Visingsö Group Sweden, 740 Chuar Arizona, USA. steranes is remarkably similar but distinct all other...
Significance The oceans of Earth’s middle age, 1.8–0.8 billion years ago, were devoid animal-like life. According to one hypothesis, the emergence large, active organisms was restrained by limited supply large food particles such as algae. Through discovery molecular fossils photopigment chlorophyll in 1.1-billion-year-old marine sedimentary rocks, we able quantify abundance different phototrophs. nitrogen isotopic values fossil pigments showed that dominated cyanobacteria, while larger...
Although elemental proxies (i.e., boron/gallium [B/Ga], strontium/barium [Sr/Ba], and sulfur/total organic carbon [S/TOC]) have been extensively used to evaluate paleo-watermass salinities in Phanerozoic shales marls, their application Precambrian-age formations has limited. Here, we these for five depositional systems ranging age from late Paleoproterozoic Neoproterozoic. Our analysis shows that the range of B/Ga ratios encountered (∼2−9) matches seen deposits is consistent with a spectrum...
Research Article| February 01, 2013 Lipid taphonomy in the Proterozoic and effect of microbial mats on biomarker preservation Maria M. Pawlowska; Pawlowska 1Department Earth Sciences, University Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3E0Q, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Nicholas J. Butterfield; Butterfield Jochen Brocks 2Research School The Australian National University, Building 142, Mills Road, Acton, ACT 0200, Australia Author Article Information...
Two commonly used proxies based on the distribution of glycerol dialkyl tetraethers (GDGTs) are TEX 86 (TetraEther indeX carbon atoms) paleothermometer for sea surface temperature reconstructions and BIT (Branched Isoprenoid Tetraether) index reconstructing soil organic matter input to ocean. An initial round‐robin study two sediment extracts, in which 15 laboratories participated, showed relatively consistent values (reproducibility ±3–4°C when translated temperature) but a large spread...