Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins

311 Pages·1995·34.38 MB·English

by  Ken B. Anderson and John C. Crelling (Eds.)

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In Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins; Anderson, K., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.
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In Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins; Anderson, K., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.
ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES 617
Amber, Resinite, and Fossil
Resins
1 Ken B. Anderson, EDITOR
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w Argone National Laboratory
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99 John C. Crelling, EDITOR
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1/b Southern Illinois University—Carbondale
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0o of the American Chemical Society,
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American Chemical Society, Washington, DC 1995
In Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins; Anderson, K., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Amber, resinite, and fossil resins / Ken B. Anderson, editor, John C.
Crelling, editor.
p. cm.—(ACS symposium series, ISSN 0097-6156; 617)
"Developed from a symposium sponsored by the Division of Geo
chemistry, Inc., at the 208th National Meeting of the American Chemical
Society, Washington, D.C., August 21-25, 1994."
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
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w ISBN 0-8412-3336-5
7.f
61 1. Resins, Fossil—Congresses. 2. Amber—Congresses.
5-0 3. Resinite—Congresses. 4. Organic geochemistry—Congresses.
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1 I. Anderson, Ken B., 1962- . II. Crelling, John C. III. American
bk- Chemical Society. Division of Geochemistry, Inc. IV. American
1/ Chemical Society. Meeting (208th: 1994: Washington, D.C.)
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0 V. Series.
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oi: 1 5Q5E39.27'95—.A6d3c 20 1995 95-44645
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In Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins; Anderson, K., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.
1995 Advisory Board
ACS Symposium Series
Robert J. Alaimo Cynthia A. Maryanoff
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University of Iowa Roger A. Minear
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In Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins; Anderson, K., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.
Foreword
1HE ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES was first published in 1974 to
provide a mechanism for publishing symposia quickly in book
form. The purpose of this series is to publish comprehensive
books developed from symposia, which are usually "snapshots
in time" of the current research being done on a topic, plus
1
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0 some review material on the topic. For this reason, it is neces
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7.f sary that the papers be published as quickly as possible.
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06 Before a symposium-based book is put under contract, the
5-
9 proposed table of contents is reviewed for appropriateness to
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k- the topic and for comprehensiveness of the collection. Some
b
1/ papers are excluded at this point, and others are added to
2
10 round out the scope of the volume. In addition, a draft of each
0.
1 paper is peer-reviewed prior to final acceptance or rejection.
org 6 | doi: Terhsi)s oanf othney msyoumsp orseivuimew, wphrooc besesc oims es uthpee rveidsietod r(bsy) othf et hoer gbaonoikz.
cs.99
a1 The authors then revise their papers according to the recom
bs.5,
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0o
6, 2cati view papers are included in the volumes. Verbatim reproduc
uly 1Publi tions of previously published papers are not accepted.
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In Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins; Anderson, K., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.
Preface
AMBER IS AN EXTRAORDINARY MATERIAL. Among sedimentary
organic products, it is unique for its exceptional preservation (and the
exceptional preservation of materials included within it); for its value as
an "organic gemstone"; and for the extraordinary role it has played in
human history, especially European history. Until the 18th century, when
fossil fuels became important in sustaining the industrial revolution,
amber was the single most important organic product from the geosphere.
1 Whether one is discussing Roman invasions, the excesses of the Teutonic
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pr Knights, or the secretive and powerful amber guilds, throughout (and
7.
1 undoubtedly before) recorded history, war and intrigue have always sur
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5- rounded control of the production and distribution of amber. Indeed, at
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19 one time gallows stood on the shores of the Baltic, and any unfortunate
bk- sole caught collecting amber without proper authority was summarily put
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2 to the gibbet!
0
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0. However, it is not our purpose to describe the remarkably colorful
1
oi: and often bloody history of the amber trade. Rather, this book has been
org 6 | d assembled to report, as far as is possible in a rapidly developing field, the
acs.199 current state of the art in scientific (especially chemical) studies of amber.
ubs.y 5, The unique properties of fossil resins make them exceptional candidates
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0o tunities in molecular paleontology that could not previously be addressed,
uly 16, 2Publicati imnicllluiodnin yge athrse orledc. overy of fragmentary DNA from insects more than 100
J
Because of its extraordinary properties, amber is of interest to scien
tists in a wide range of disciplines. The symposium upon which this book
is based was organized to provide a forum for a diverse exchange of infor
mation and to present an opportunity for investigators to become familiar
with the challenges facing scientists working with amber in a range of dis
ciplines. Likewise, this book was prepared to present a diverse summary
of our current knowledge of the nature and properties of fossil resins.
Ambers are derived from biological materials (resins) that have been
incorporated into sediments. Their chemical properties are a conse
quence of both their biological origins and the geological environment
into which they were deposited and in which they have subsequently
matured. Hence, it is important, when assessing the properties and
ix
In Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins; Anderson, K., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.
characteristics of these materials, to take these factors into account. For
this reason, in addition to reporting chemical studies of ambers, including
structural characterization, isotopic composition, maturation studies,
resinite-derived oils, and amino acid distributions, the reports in this book
also discuss aspects of the biology, geology, petrology, and technology of
fossil resins.
Acknowledgments
This book and the symposium from which it developed are a result of the
efforts and support of a large number of individuals and organizations.
Hence, we express our gratitude to the ACS Division of Geochemistry,
Inc., that sponsored the symposium, to the speakers and authors whose
work is reported in this volume, and to those individuals who generously
1 donated their time to review the papers. The Petroleum Research Fund
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pr is also acknowledged for their support by allowing several speakers from
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1 outside North America to attend and participate in the symposium
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5- (ACS-PRF 29052-SE). The support of the U.S. Department of Energy
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9 for Κ. B. Anderson, under Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38, is also
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0.1 KEN B. ANDERSON
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oi: Chemistry Division
org 6 | d Argonne National Laboratory
acs.199 9700 South Cass Avenue
ubs.y 5, Argonne, IL 60439
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0o Southern Illinois University
6, 2cati Carbondale, IL 62901
uly 1Publi
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September 5, 1995
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In Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins; Anderson, K., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.
Introduction
Ken B. Anderson and John C. Crelling
Scientific analysis of fossil resins is not new. In fact, the term electron is derived from
the Greek word for amber, "Electra". In recent years however, scientific analysis of
these materials has undergone a renaissance and the pace of new discoveries
concerning these materials has quickened considerably. The principle reason for this is
1
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0 the advent and application of modern analytical techniques, which have allowed
pr
7. researchers to address questions which could not be addressed previously. The scope
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06 of these discoveries has been exceptionally broad, and significant advances have been
95- achieved in a number of disciplines based on the results of studies of ambers or
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k-1 materials included within it.
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1/ This brief introduction has been prepared to assist the reader by defining important
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oi: related to ambers which are not covered in the papers in the body of this volume.
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acs.199 Definitions and Nomenclature:
ubs.y 5, The title of this book, and the symposium from which it has been developed, "Amber,
12 | http://pn Date: Ma Rnsyoenmsoinenniytceml aaotnuudrse Fa onofsd st hmile aRsyee sbmiena sut"es,re rideafl silne. cteTtrsoc f hrmaonamgne ytha bwel yoor.uk tOesertsth, etthhrsee shdeoif wfteiecruvmletsry, ahwraeivt lhea rtihgneesl iyst ed that
0o these terms are not synonymous and that each should be used only in specific
6, 2cati circumstances. For example, some authors have insisted that the term "amber" should
uly 1Publi only be used to describe Baltic Amber. Other authors contend that the term "resinite",
J which is primarily a coal maceral term and hence is defined by ICCP (7) and ASTM
(2) convention, should only be used to describe material which has been
petrographically identified (by optical microscopy). It has also been suggested that the
terms "amber" and "resinite", differ only in that "resinite" refers to microscopic
materials and "amber" refers to macroscopic materials.
In the opinion of the present authors, while for some purposes it may be
convenient to precisely define these terms, in reality their use is so widespread and so
varied that it is futile to attempt to narrowly define their meanings. Therefore, for
practical purposes they should be regarded as synonymous. Where a specific or more
precise meaning is intended, the writer or speaker should explicitly indicate this. For
the purposes of this Introduction, these terms will be treated as synonyms. The term
"resin" (used alone) should be used only for modern samples.
0097-6156/95/0617-OOxi$12.00/0
© 1995 American Chemical Society
In Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins; Anderson, K., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.
It is also important at the outset to discuss the scope of the terms "Amber",
"Resinite" and "Fossil Resins". For the purpose of this discussion, these materials are
defined as: "solid, discrete organic materials found in coals and other sediments as
macroscopic or microscopic particles, which are derived from the resins of higher
plants" This definition is based on the definition given in an earlier report by one of
the authors (3). It is not comprehensive, nor do all of the contributors to this volume
necessarily adopt this definition in their own reports. It does however, serve as a
general working definition and as a basis for further discussion.
The two principle aspects of this definition are (i) fossil resins must be solid,
discrete bodies, and (ii) that they must be derived fromt he resins of higher plants. The
first of these two components serves to exclude resin(ite) derived products and
material which has become dispersed at a molecular level, such as woody fossils from
which resin derived materials can be extracted, and resinite derived oils. This is not to
suggest that these materials are not important or worthy of investigation, but, simply
that they should not be referred to using the same terms used for discrete macroscopic
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pr
7. The second component of this definition, which serves to exclude montan waxes
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6 and similar materials, which are sometimes (rather perversely) referred to "wax
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95- resinite" (4) and which are clearly not related in either biochemical origin, botanical
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k-1 function, or composition to other forms of fossil resin, is more problematic. The
1/b difficulty here centers around the question of what constitutes a resin. Terpenoid
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0. currently known resinites. However, it is entirely possible that some plants may now,
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oi: or may in the past, have produced non-terpenoid exudates to fulfill the biological and
org 6 | d ecological functions now filled in most plants by terpenoid resins, and this definition is
acs.199 certainly not intended to exclude non-terpenoid forms of resinite. Very little is known
ubs.y 5, concerning the evolution of terpenoid resins. It is not even clear when terpenoid resins
pa first appear in the fossil record. The oldest definitively terpenoid resin characterized
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6, 2cati materials has been done.
uly 1Publi Further complicating the nomenclature of fossil resins is the plethora of geological
J names given to various samples. Names for ambers based on locality, discoverer etc,
abound in the literature, (eg; Glessite, Rumanite, Chemawinite, Burmite, Simetite,
Bitterfelderite, Settlingite, Walchowite, Schraufite, Schilerseeite, Simetite, Stantienite,
etc ). However, as virtually none of these names is based on any knowledge of the
composition of the amber, they are of little or no scientific value in comparing
samples. Many of these names are so heavily entrenched in popular usage and in the
scientific literature that it is not possible to restrict their usage.
Classification of Ambers:
As an attempt to rationalize the nomenclature of these materials and to provide a
logical basis for comparison of ambers for the purposes of scientific discussion, a
classification system, based on the structural characteristics of the amber itself has
been proposed (3,5,6),. This classification system has not yet been universally
xii
In Amber, Resinite, and Fossil Resins; Anderson, K., et al.;
ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.