Science. 1982 Jul 2;217(4554):65-6. doi: 10.1126/science.217.4554.65.
Glycerol tetraethers with head-to-head isoprenoid 40-carbon chains that are typical of archaebacteria, in particular of methanogens, were identified in the polar lipids of sediments and petroleums. These structures are at least partially preserved in the subsurface beyond the stage of petroleum formation. Their identification provides further evidence that a significant part of geological organic matter derives from the lipids of membranes of microorganisms.
在沉积物和石油的极性脂质中鉴定出了具有典型古细菌（特别是产甲烷菌）特征的头对头异戊二烯 40 碳链甘油四醚。这些结构至少在石油形成阶段之后的地下深处得到了部分保存。它们的鉴定为地质有机质的很大一部分来源于微生物膜脂质的观点提供了进一步的证据。
