The earliest fossils of animal-like organisms occur in Ediacaran rocks that are approximately
571 million years old. Yet 24-isopropylcholestanes and other C30 fossil sterol molecules …

Sterane molecular fossils are broadly interpreted as eukaryotic biomarkers, although diverse
bacteria also produce sterols. Steranes with side-chain methylations can act as more …

The history of molecular oxygen (O2) in Earth's atmosphere is still debated; however,
geological evidence supports at least two major episodes where O2 increased by an order …

Diverse and abundant lipid biomarker assemblages have been reported from a variety of
Proterozoic marine environments from the careful analysis of well-preserved rocks and oils …

The sponge class Demospongiae is the most speciose and morphologically diverse in the
phylum Porifera, and the species within it are vital components of a range of ecosystems …

Abstract The Khatyspyt Lagerstätte (~ 544 Ma, Russia) provides a valuable window into late
Ediacaran Avalon‐type ecosystems with rangeomorphs, arboreomorphs, and mega‐algae …

Animals, fungi, and algae with complex multicellular bodies all evolved independently from
unicellular ancestors. The early history of these major eukaryotic multicellular clades, if not …

Abstract The South Oman Salt Basin (SOSB) has been studied extensively for knowledge
concerning the habitat of the enigmatic Ediacaran–Cambrian oils that are produced from …

The absence of unambiguous animal body fossils in rocks older than the late Ediacaran has
rendered fossil lipids the most promising tracers of early organismic complexity. Yet much …

Natural product discovery by isolation and structure elucidation is a laborious task often
requiring ample quantities of biological starting material and frequently resulting in the …