Biomarkers, in general, are organic indicator compounds which can be used as tracers for geologic and environmental processes. The carbon skeletons of the natural product precursor compounds were synthesized by biota and have been altered directly or indirectly by diagenetic changes to the products. In the geologic record these biomarkers were originally called chemical fossils (e.g. Eglinton and Calvin, 1967; Mackenzie et al., 1982; Johns, 1986) and the concept has been extended to environmental chemistry (e.g. Simoneit et al., 1993). Higher plant biomarkers are derived from biosynthesis in higher order flora. They were elucidated initially in brown coals, peats and resins (amber) (Johns, 1986).
Homologous aliphatic compounds with strong carbon number predominances are biomarkers indicative of epicuticular waxes of higher plants. The compounds are primarily n-alkanes (C27, C29, C31, C33), n-alkanols and n-alkanoic acids (both C24, C26, C28, C30), with lesser amounts of other...
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Simoneit, B.R.T. (1998). Biomarker: Higher plant. In: Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4496-8_30
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4496-8_30
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