Carbon-isotope analyses of fossil plants as a chemostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental tool.

Gröcke, D.R.

Abstract

A review of carbon-isotope analysis (δ13C) of terrestrial organic matter indicates that this has become a valuable tool for stratigraphic correlation between marine and non-marine sequences as well as providing palaeoenvironmental information. Early Cretaceous fossil wood was collected over a 64 cm section from Flat Rocks, southeastern Australia, and analysed for carbon-isotope ratios. Three positive δ13Cplant shifts were recorded, and a similar pattern was found in the carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio of the plant fragments. Comparisons of δ13Cplant values and C/N ratios with sedimentology indicate that positive shifts occur in sand-rich horizons, while negative shifts occur in mud-rich horizons. This trend most likely represents diagenetic-taphonomic changes caused by changes in the oxidation state and/or bacterial activity during deposition and fossilization of the plant matter. The application of carbon-isotope analyses on fossil plants can provide invaluable information with respect to the environment on a local, regional or global scale; however, caution must be exercised in interpreting these data accurately.

Citation

Gröcke, D. (1998). Carbon-isotope analyses of fossil plants as a chemostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental tool. Lethaia: An International Journal of Palaeontology and Stratigraphy, 31(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3931.1998.tb00482.x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 1998-03
• Deposit Date: May 19, 2015
• Journal: Lethaia
• Print ISSN: 0024-1164
• Electronic ISSN: 1502-3931
• Publisher: Scandinavian University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 1-13
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3931.1998.tb00482.x
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1437777