T136 Exceptional Fossilization in Time and Space

Wednesday, 28 October 2020
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Meeting Rooms

HOW CONFIDENT ARE WE IN INTERPRETING THE FOSSIL RECORD OF MELANIN?

Paper number: T136-13
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 4:20 PM – 4:35 PM

Authors

  • Maria McNamara Presenting Author
    University College Cork Biological, Earth & Environmental Scie, Cork

Abstract

Over the last twelve years, the palaeontological landscape has been transformed by the recognition that evidence of melanin can persist in fossils. Early research in the field focussed strongly on the applications of fossil melanin to inferences of integumentary colour, but today fossil melanin studies are more diverse and routinely incorporate aspects of melanin evolution, chemistry and taphonomy. Despite this expanded scope, however, melanin preservation remains incompletely resolved and our understanding of melanin evolution is limited by the discrete nature of, and minimal overlap between, many studies to date. More fundamentally, few studies on fossil melanin are underpinned by a robust taphonomic analysis and a clear evolutionary hypothesis. In this talk I will present a synopsis of current understanding of melanin preservation and I will outline how a more strategic approach to resolving the taphonomy and fossil record of melanin may shed light on key questions relating to the evolution of melanin and its functions.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 52, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2020AM-358988

© Copyright 2020 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.