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Pump-Probe Microscopic Imaging of Jurassic-Aged Eumelanin
Mary Jane Simpson1, Keely E Glass, Jesse W Wilson
1Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|July 13, 2013
Summary
Pump-probe imaging reveals stable melanin signals in ancient fossils, similar to modern cephalopods. This technique
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Paleontology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Melanins are diverse animal pigments with crucial functions.
- Pump-probe imaging distinguishes human skin melanins (eumelanin, pheomelanin).
- Melanin distribution analysis aids melanoma diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the long-term stability of melanin pump-probe signals.
- To analyze melanin distributions in fossilized tissues for diagnostic potential.
- To compare fossil melanin signals with modern counterparts.
Main Methods:
- Utilized pump-probe imaging on fossilized cephalopod eumelanin.
- Compared spectral data with eumelanin from *Sepia officinalis*.
- Investigated signal sensitivity to iron content.
Main Results:
- Fossil eumelanin exhibited pump-probe signals largely identical to modern eumelanin.
- Additional signal classes in fossil eumelanin indicated iron sensitivity.
- Pump-probe signature is sensitive to iron content in melanins.
Conclusions:
- Melanin pump-probe signals are stable over geological timescales.
- Iron content influences the pump-probe signature of eumelanin.
- This technique may offer new insights into iron distribution for pathology.
