Phyllocladane is a tricyclic diterpane which is generally found in

gymnosperm The gymnosperms ( ; ) are a group of woody, perennial Seed plant, seed-producing plants, typically lacking the protective outer covering which surrounds the seeds in flowering plants, that include Pinophyta, conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and gnetoph ...

resins. It has a formula of C₂₀H₃₄ and a molecular weight of 274.4840. As a

biomarker In biomedical contexts, a biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated using blood, urine, or soft tissues to examine normal biological processes, ...

, it can be used to learn about the gymnosperm input into a hydrocarbon deposit, and about the age of the deposit in general. It indicates a terrigenous origin of the source rock. Diterpanes, such as Phyllocladane are found in source rocks as early as the middle and late

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...

periods, which indicates any rock containing them must be no more than approximately 360 Ma. Phyllocladane is commonly found in

lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...

, and like other

resinite Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...

s derived from gymnosperms, is naturally enriched in ¹³C. This enrichment is a result of the enzymatic pathways used to synthesize the compound. The compound can be identified by GC-MS. A peak of m/z 123 is indicative of tricyclic diterpenoids in general, and phyllocladane in particular is further characterized by strong peaks at m/z 231 and m/z 189. Presence of phyllocladane and its relative abundance to other tricyclic diterpanes can be used to differentiate between various oil fields.

References

Diterpenes Biomarkers Tetracyclic compounds {{organic-compound-stub