ALIPHATIC AND AROMATIC TRITERPENOID HYDROCARBONS IN A TERTIARY ANGIOSPERMOUS LIGNITE

The hydrocarbon biomarker assemblage of a liptinite-rich, early Tertiary angiospermous lignite has been characterized. The biomarker distribution for the lignite confirms the low maturity and previous paleobotanic interpretations. The aliphatic hydrocarbon fraction consists predominantly of n-alkanes showing a strong odd-carbon predominance, and numerous de-A-triterpenoids and triterpenoids derived from higher plants. Bacterially-derived triterpenoids were represented primarily by homohopanes and hopenes. The aromatic hydrocarbon fraction contains a series of mono-, di-, and triaromatic de-A-triterpenoids and mono-, tri-, and tetraaromatic triterpenoids derived from higher plants. The concentration and abundance of monoaromatic triterpenoids containing one to three additional degrees of unsaturation have not been previously observed in a single deposit. As such, a diagenetic scheme for angiosperm-derived triterpenoids is presented which confirms and extends previous hypotheses.