Geochemical Fossils of a Possibly Archaebacterial Origin in Ancient Sediments

Abstract

This article reviews available data on geochemical fossils and their potential precursors in archaebacteria. The evidence compiled during the last 3 years suggests that a large fraction of the isoprenoid hydrocarbons in sedimentary rocks as old as Precambrian is of archaebacterial origin and that archaebacteria have contributed significantly to the sedimentary organic matter through most of earth's history, at least from the late Proterozoic on. It remains to be seen whether geochemical fossils of archaebacterial origin have survived from Archean times.