Molecular characterization and effect of diagenesis and maturation of melanin in the fossil record

Despite the fact that melanin is a ubiquitous pigment found in bacteria, fungi, plants and animals, little is known about its chemical preservation and 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 color) and pheomelanin (orange-red in color). 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 thereby affording melanins the potential to maintain their integrity for millions of years. Color patterns depend on pigment composition and arrangement. Recent studies have demonstrated that melanin is one of those pigments with the high preservation potential over geologic time scales; it is found in virtually all extant organisms, from bacteria to humans.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Herrera Bethencourt, Jorsua(Jorsua G.)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Roger Summons.

• Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/123742

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/123742