Co-occurrence of long chain diols, keto-ols, hydroxy acids and keto acids in recent sediments of Lake El Junco, Galápagos Islands

Lipid biomarkers in lacustrine sediments provide valuable information about lake history and environmental change. Here we report the occurrence of a unique set of lipid biomarkers from a freshwater crater lake, El Junco, in the Galápagos. In addition to previously reported alkadienes, botryococcenes and lycopadienes indicative of Botryococcus braunii A, B and L races, we find highly branched C25 isoprenoids (HBIs) from diatoms, monomethyl alkanes likely from insect epicuticular waxes, long chain alkenols, diols and a triol, keto-ols, hydroxy acids and keto acids. Saturated and mono-unsaturated long chain diols from C30-C36 had terminal hydroxyl groups and hydroxyl groups between the ω16 and ω20 positions. Vicinal diols with hydroxyl groups at ω9 and ω10 were likely from the floating fern Azolla. C30-C36 keto-ols, mid-chain hydroxy and keto acids had mid-chain functional groups at similar positions to the diols, suggesting common origins. The predominance of ω20-hydroxy acids and diols, together with 20,21-dihydroxy-nonacosanoic acid is indicative of an Azolla source, while ω16 and ω18 hydroxy acids and diols imply a microalgal source.