Black Sea sterol-A molecular fossil for dinoflagellate blooms [8]

Abstract

A PECULIAR sterol has been found in recent sedimentary environments which we eventually found was identical with the Black Sea sterol. This sterol was first mentioned among the extractable sterols from the Black Sea sapropel layer as the dominant component1. The concentration of this sterol in these rare sediments seemed high enough for us to isolate and purify the object to determine its molecular structure and evaluate its significance. We have isolated and analysed the sterol fractions from the Black Sea sapropel (by techniques to be described elsewhere), but here only elucidate the molecular structure of the Black Sea sterol and discuss its significance. © 1979 Nature Publishing Group.