Abstract
Terpenoid resin is produced by all families and most genera of the order Coniferales (the conifers), and the distribution of terpenes present in most conifer resins is characteristic of the originating family. Analyses of early Cretaceous (Barremian) amber (fossil resin) from the English Wealden, Isle of Wight, southern England, by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), indicate a terpene distribution dominated by abietane- and labdane-type terpenes. Similar distributions are observed in some species of the extant family Pinaceae. The Pinaceae are well represented within the Wealden deposits of southern England, by only one (known) species, Pityites solmsii (Seward) Seward, whereas the macro-fossil record of these deposits is dominated by the extinct conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae, for which no resin chemistry has been reported. By analogy with modern materials, it is probable that the ambers found in these deposits are derived from an extinct member of the Pinaceae, but given the absence of evidence concerning the chemotaxonomy of the Cheirolepidiaceae, this family cannot be excluded a priori as a possible paleobotanical source. These ambers may therefore be assigned to either the Pinaceae or to the Cheirolepidiaceae. These samples are the oldest ambers to date to yield useful chemotaxonomic data.
Highlights
The Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England, is well known for rich lower Cretaceous (Barremian) fossil beds
Oldham [2]concluded that the paleoflora contributing to these strata was dominated by genera of the extinct conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae
Infrequent examples of other taxa, including species assigned to the Pinaceae, Araucariceae, and Taxodiaceae, have been reported in the Wealden [2,4,5], the assignment of these early Cretaceous specimens to modern families has been challenged [5]
Summary
The Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England, is well known for rich lower Cretaceous (Barremian) fossil beds. In addition to numerous fossil fauna, (the Isle of Wight is widely recognized as one of the most important dinosaur fossil sites in the world), extensive floral remains have been reported. The paleoenvironment of these deposits has been characterized by Insole and Hutt [1] as semiarid, with distinct wet and dry seasons. Infrequent examples of other taxa, including species assigned to the Pinaceae, Araucariceae, and Taxodiaceae ( considered part of the Cupressaceae), have been reported in the Wealden [2,4,5], the assignment of these early Cretaceous specimens to modern families has been challenged [5]
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