Investigation of Organic Tissue from Ordovician Deposits

奥陶系矿床有机组织调查

• 批准号: 8719462
• 负责人: Norman Savage
• 金额: $ 1.87万
• 依托单位: University of Oregon Eugene
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1988
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1988-02-01 至 1989-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8719462&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Investigation; Organic; Tissue; Ordovician; Deposits

Conodonts of middle Ordovician age collected by he PI as part of a biostratigraphic project were found to have tissue preserved in and below their basal cavities. This 450 million year-old material from eastern Australia appears to be the oldest known fossil tissue. The horizon with the conodonts also contains these remains of several other groups with tissue preserved. These groups include trilobites, gastropods, inarticulate and articulate brachiopods, corals, sponges, bryozoans, and fish. Some prelimi- nary microscopy has been begun on the material already collected. Discussions with members of the Institute of Molecular Biology at the University of Oregon have led to offers of facilities necessary for gel electrophoresis protein analysis, residual protein immunological analysis, protein sequence determination, amino acid analysis, transmission electron ultrastructure studies, and other techniques to obtain the most biochemical information from the preserved tissues. During the first year, the work will a) aim to determine the extent of the tissue-rich fossil horizon in the field, b) attempt to discover the reasons for the exceptional preservation, c) establish the biochemical condition of the organic remains, and d) explore the suitability of the various known methods for analyzing the remains. During the second year this information will be applied to as many groups as possible to gain the maximum biochemical and taxonomic knowledge about the organisms present in the deposit, many of which belong to major groups that are now extinct.

作为生物地层学项目的一部分，何皮收集的中奥陶世牙形刺在其底部洞穴内和底部发现了保存下来的组织。这种来自澳大利亚东部的4.5亿年前的物质似乎是已知的最古老的化石组织。地平线上的牙形刺也包含了其他几组保存下来的组织的遗骸。这些类群包括三叶虫、腹足类、口齿不清和有口齿的腕足动物、珊瑚、海绵、苔藓动物和鱼类。对已经收集的材料进行了一些初步的显微镜观察。与俄勒冈大学分子生物学研究所成员的讨论导致提供了凝胶电泳蛋白质分析、残留蛋白质免疫分析、蛋白质序列测定、氨基酸分析、透射电子超微结构研究和其他技术所需的设施，以从保存的组织中获得最多的生化信息。在第一年，这项工作将a)确定野外富含组织的化石层位的范围，b)试图发现特殊保存的原因，c)建立有机遗骸的生物化学条件，d)探索各种已知的分析遗骸方法的适用性。在第二年，这些信息将被应用于尽可能多的群体，以获得关于沉积物中存在的生物的最大生化和分类学知识，其中许多生物属于现已灭绝的主要群体。