Revealing the biotic origin of silicified Precambrian carbonaceous microstructures using Raman spectroscopic mapping, a potential method for the detection of microfossils on Mars
International audience Demonstrating the biogenicity of carbonaceous microfossils can be relatively difficult because of their small size and simple shape, and to the degradation of the associated organic molecules with time. For Precambrian fossils, it generally requires the use of several techniqu...
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ftunitours:oai:HAL:hal-01171233v1 2024-05-12T08:11:49+00:00 Revealing the biotic origin of silicified Precambrian carbonaceous microstructures using Raman spectroscopic mapping, a potential method for the detection of microfossils on Mars Foucher, Frédéric Ammar, Mohamed Ramzi Westall, Frances Centre de biophysique moléculaire (CBM) Université d'Orléans (UO)-Université de Tours (UT)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Institut de Chimie - CNRS Chimie (INC-CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux : Haute Température et Irradiation (CEMHTI) Université d'Orléans (UO)-Institut de Chimie - CNRS Chimie (INC-CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) 2015-04 https://hal.science/hal-01171233 https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.4687 en eng HAL CCSD Wiley info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1002/jrs.4687 hal-01171233 https://hal.science/hal-01171233 doi:10.1002/jrs.4687 ISSN: 0377-0486 EISSN: 1097-4555 Journal of Raman Spectroscopy https://hal.science/hal-01171233 Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2015, pp.doi:10.1002/jrs.4687. ⟨10.1002/jrs.4687⟩ Raman mapping carbonaceous matter microfossils biogenicity Mars [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2015 ftunitours https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.4687 2024-04-18T00:14:23Z International audience Demonstrating the biogenicity of carbonaceous microfossils can be relatively difficult because of their small size and simple shape, and to the degradation of the associated organic molecules with time. For Precambrian fossils, it generally requires the use of several techniques to study the shape and the composition of the structure itself, as well as its mineral environment. The ability to identify both organic matter and minerals using Raman spectroscopy makes it a key technique in the field of micropaleontology. Raman instruments are also being developed for the upcoming missions to Mars, ExoMars and Mars 2020, both dedicated to the search for past or present traces of life. However, demonstrating the biotic origin of carbonaceous matter in geological materials using this technique is controversial. Here, we show that Raman mapping instead of single spot analysis can detect variations in the composition of carbonaceous matter associated with fossilized microbes in the 800-Ma-old microfossils from the Draken Formation, Svalbard. This discovery is of great interest because it permits assessment of the biotic origin of a fossilized carbonaceous structure. Raman mapping could thus be of crucial importance in the near future for detecting potential fossilized microbial remains in Martian rocks. Article in Journal/Newspaper Svalbard Université François-Rabelais de Tours: HAL Svalbard Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 46 10 873 879 |
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Open Polar |
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Université François-Rabelais de Tours: HAL |
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language |
English |
topic |
Raman mapping carbonaceous matter microfossils biogenicity Mars [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] |
spellingShingle |
Raman mapping carbonaceous matter microfossils biogenicity Mars [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] Foucher, Frédéric Ammar, Mohamed Ramzi Westall, Frances Revealing the biotic origin of silicified Precambrian carbonaceous microstructures using Raman spectroscopic mapping, a potential method for the detection of microfossils on Mars |
topic_facet |
Raman mapping carbonaceous matter microfossils biogenicity Mars [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] |
description |
International audience Demonstrating the biogenicity of carbonaceous microfossils can be relatively difficult because of their small size and simple shape, and to the degradation of the associated organic molecules with time. For Precambrian fossils, it generally requires the use of several techniques to study the shape and the composition of the structure itself, as well as its mineral environment. The ability to identify both organic matter and minerals using Raman spectroscopy makes it a key technique in the field of micropaleontology. Raman instruments are also being developed for the upcoming missions to Mars, ExoMars and Mars 2020, both dedicated to the search for past or present traces of life. However, demonstrating the biotic origin of carbonaceous matter in geological materials using this technique is controversial. Here, we show that Raman mapping instead of single spot analysis can detect variations in the composition of carbonaceous matter associated with fossilized microbes in the 800-Ma-old microfossils from the Draken Formation, Svalbard. This discovery is of great interest because it permits assessment of the biotic origin of a fossilized carbonaceous structure. Raman mapping could thus be of crucial importance in the near future for detecting potential fossilized microbial remains in Martian rocks. |
author2 |
Centre de biophysique moléculaire (CBM) Université d'Orléans (UO)-Université de Tours (UT)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Institut de Chimie - CNRS Chimie (INC-CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux : Haute Température et Irradiation (CEMHTI) Université d'Orléans (UO)-Institut de Chimie - CNRS Chimie (INC-CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Foucher, Frédéric Ammar, Mohamed Ramzi Westall, Frances |
author_facet |
Foucher, Frédéric Ammar, Mohamed Ramzi Westall, Frances |
author_sort |
Foucher, Frédéric |
title |
Revealing the biotic origin of silicified Precambrian carbonaceous microstructures using Raman spectroscopic mapping, a potential method for the detection of microfossils on Mars |
title_short |
Revealing the biotic origin of silicified Precambrian carbonaceous microstructures using Raman spectroscopic mapping, a potential method for the detection of microfossils on Mars |
title_full |
Revealing the biotic origin of silicified Precambrian carbonaceous microstructures using Raman spectroscopic mapping, a potential method for the detection of microfossils on Mars |
title_fullStr |
Revealing the biotic origin of silicified Precambrian carbonaceous microstructures using Raman spectroscopic mapping, a potential method for the detection of microfossils on Mars |
title_full_unstemmed |
Revealing the biotic origin of silicified Precambrian carbonaceous microstructures using Raman spectroscopic mapping, a potential method for the detection of microfossils on Mars |
title_sort |
revealing the biotic origin of silicified precambrian carbonaceous microstructures using raman spectroscopic mapping, a potential method for the detection of microfossils on mars |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-01171233 https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.4687 |
geographic |
Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Svalbard |
genre |
Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Svalbard |
op_source |
ISSN: 0377-0486 EISSN: 1097-4555 Journal of Raman Spectroscopy https://hal.science/hal-01171233 Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2015, pp.doi:10.1002/jrs.4687. ⟨10.1002/jrs.4687⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1002/jrs.4687 hal-01171233 https://hal.science/hal-01171233 doi:10.1002/jrs.4687 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.4687 |
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Journal of Raman Spectroscopy |
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46 |
container_issue |
10 |
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873 |
op_container_end_page |
879 |
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1798834034118230016 |