Sequencing of phosphopeptides sulfonated by 4-sulfophenyl isothiocyanate using post-source decay matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract

Abstract A combination of carbon isotope composition and stomatal characters of fossil leaves provides information about paleoatmospheric CO2 levels and the physiology of fossil plants. Plant anatomy, physiology, and geochemistry have been employed to reconstruct the paleoatmospheric CO2 concentrations throughout Jurassic time and to investigate the physiological response of fossil Ginkgo to an atmosphere of much higher CO2 than usual. Our results show that fossil Ginkgo in China lived in an atmosphere with a CO2 concentration 3–5 times higher than that of today. It used a carbon isotopic discrimination similar to that of the living plant, but had much higher water use efficiency (3–5 times that of the extant). They physiological traits of Ginkgo in different atmospheres suggest that CO2 might have played a contributory role in the rise and fall of maidenhair trees. *Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40372012, 40502005), the key project of chinese Ministry of Educa-tion ...