Are sponges a major source of Neoproterozoic C30 steranes?

[Oxytropidoceras]

Great virtual talk about using biomarkers to determine the presence of sponges in the Neoproterozoic.

 

What are the major sources of Neoproterozoic C30 steranes?

Gordon Love, University of California, Riverside

Virtual Seminars in Precambrian Geology, December 2, 2022

 

In addition, starting at 53:30, Dr. Love presents very specific arguments about why the cholestane biomarker recovered from fossils of White Sea Dickinsonia fossils are Quaternary contaminates and are not in any way associated with them. If so, this renders the arguments about whether the cholestane biomarker indicates Dickinsonia is an animal rather moot.

 

The original Fossil Forum post is:

 

Dickinsonia steroids not unique to animals

 

The original papers are:

 

Bobrovskiy, I., Hope, J.M., Ivantsov, A., Nettersheim, B.J., Hallmann, C. and Brocks, J.J., 2018. Ancient steroids establish the Ediacaran fossil Dickinsonia as one of the earliest animals. Science, 361(6408), pp.1246-1249.

 

and

 

Retallack, G.J., 2022. Damaged Dickinsonia specimens provide clues to Ediacaran vendobiont biology. Plos one, 17(6), p.e0269638.

 

More of Bobrovskiy’s papers

 

More of Rettalack’s papers

 

Yours,

 

Paul H.