%0 Journal Article
%T The nature and fate of natural resins in the geosphere XIII: a probable pinaceous resin from the early Cretaceous (Barremian), Isle of Wight
%A P Sargent Bray
%A Ken B Anderson
%J Geochemical Transactions
%D 2008
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1467-4866-9-3
%X 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 also been reported. The paleoenvironment of these deposits has been characterized by Insole and Hutt [1] as semi-arid, with distinct wet and dry seasons. Based upon macrofossil evidence, Oldham [2]concluded that the paleoflora contributing to these strata was dominated by genera of the extinct conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae. Alvin et al. [3] further refined this assignment and have reported that the dominant conifer in this environment was Pseudofrenolopsis parceramosa, creating stands wherein Brachyphyllum obesum grew beneath the canopy. Infrequent examples of other taxa, including species assigned to the Pinaceae, Araucariceae, and Taxodiaceae (now considered part of the Cupressaceae), have also been reported in the Wealden [2,4,5], although the assignment of these early Cretaceous specimens to modern families has been challenged [5].Almost all modern conifers produce resinous exudates. In extant species, these resins are dominated by di- tri- and/or tetracyclic diterpenes. Mono and sesquiterpenoids are also common constituents, and triterpenoids are present in some cases [6], but these are less important overall than diterpenoids in most conifer resins. Resins are also highly durable materials that are resistant to many of the biogeochemical processes that degrade other plant tissues and are, therefore, of considerable chemotaxonomic value as geochemical markers of fossil taxa. Nicholas et al. [7] have reported small amounts of well preserved fossil resin (amber) in association with the fossil flora within lignitic marls of the Grange Chine, Wessex Formation: Wealden Group (Barremian: Early Cretaceous) on the south west coast of the Isle of Wight. The lignitic marls are associ
%U http://www.geochemicaltransactions.com/content/9/1/3