The Role of Iron in the Formation of Fossils of Soft-Bodied Organisms: Results of Long-Term Experiments

For the first time, a series of long-term taphonomic experiments (1–5 years) has shown iron deposition during the formation of fossils of soft-bodied animals. Based on the set of measurements, it is concluded that the deposition of iron is not a factor of preservation of soft-bodied animal remains,...

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Published inDoklady earth sciences Vol. 490; no. 2; pp. 72 - 75
Main Authors Naimark, E. B., Boeva, N. M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.02.2020
Springer
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Chemical reactions
Cosmopolitan species
Decomposition reactions
Deposition
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Fossils
Geochemistry
Iron
Minerals
Organic matter
Preservation
Saturation
Sediment
Sediments
Sediments (Geology)
Sulfates
pyritization
taphonomic experiments
fossils of soft-bodied animals
iron-containing sediments
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Summary:For the first time, a series of long-term taphonomic experiments (1–5 years) has shown iron deposition during the formation of fossils of soft-bodied animals. Based on the set of measurements, it is concluded that the deposition of iron is not a factor of preservation of soft-bodied animal remains, and pyritization itself is a consequence of chemical processes in iron-containing sediments. These reactions are triggered by the decomposition of organic matter and are accompanied by the destruction of minerals and saturation of the liquid medium with dissolved iron. The nonexclusive, common nature of these reactions in the sediments explains the cosmopolitan distribution of pyritized fossils of soft-bodied organisms. Such an explanation is an alternative to the prevailing opinion on pyritization: iron serves as the main preservation agent and pyritization takes place with the participation of sulfate reducers accelerating the deposition of iron on the organic matrix.
ISSN:1028-334X
1531-8354
DOI:10.1134/S1028334X20020105