| Organic molecules have been extracted directly from Paleozoic (Mississippian) crinoids that have retained some color differentiation as fossilized remains. The skeletal structure of crinoids is responsible for the preservation of ancient organic molecules and this structure is shared among other echinoderms. Further, color differentiation may also occur among other fossil echinoderm classes, such as the Asteroidea, Blastoidea, Diplopora, Echinoidea, and Edrioasteroidea. Preliminary analyses indicate that biomarker molecules are also preserved in specimens representing these classes.;Biomarkers and other ancient preserved molecules are rapidly being discovered and used to study the evolution of life on Earth. Taxon-specific organic molecules from different Lower Mississippian (ca. 340 Ma) crinoids are demonstrated from the same sedimentary bed. These are organic molecules unknown previously from fossil organisms and are the oldest taxon-specific organic molecules known. These biomarker molecules have been classified as quinones using ultra-violet visible light spectroscopy (UV-Vis), excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMs), and electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS). Further, parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was applied to extracts to investigate the composition of components of the extracts, and six components were found, including quinones. These results suggest that the preservation of diagnostic organic molecules is much more common that previously known and that preserved organic molecules may provide an independent method to unravel phylogenetic relationships among echinoderms and, perhaps, other fossil organisms. |
