Abstract
Microscopically well-preserved leaf cuticles from four Upper Carboniferous pteridosperm (seed fern) genera have been analyzed using solid state 13C NMR and Curie-point pyrolysis. The chemical analyses reveal the presence of highly aliphatic macromolecules, comparable with cutan. Cutan production is considered to be responsible for the preservation of these plant structures, and hence for the abundance of well-preserved medullosan pteridosperm foliage in the Upper Carboniferous. Based on a comparison of data from the literature, and these new results, it is suggested that the resistant constituents of these cuticles may serve as an additional source of n-alkanes on diagenesis and catagenesis.
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