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Ancient Hydrocarbon Seeps

  • Summarizes hydrocarbon seep functioning, their evolution, and important seep occurrences
  • Explains the geological and evolutionary aspects of ancient chemoautotrophic communities
  • Discusses the nature of hydrocarbon seep deposits and how to recognize them

Part of the book series: Topics in Geobiology (TGBI, volume 53)

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Table of contents (21 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
  2. Biogeochemical Processes

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Geochemistry of Cold Hydrocarbon Seeps: An Overview

      • J. Kirk Cochran, Neil H. Landman, MichaÅ‚ Jakubowicz, Jamie Brezina, Jone Naujokaityte, Ana Rashkova et al.
      Pages 3-45
    3. Biomarkers in Ancient Hydrocarbon Seep Carbonates

      • Yusuke Miyajima, Robert G. Jenkins
      Pages 47-77
  3. Seep Biota

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 111-111
    2. Microbes in Modern and Ancient Hydrocarbon Seeps

      • Russell S. Shapiro
      Pages 113-122
    3. Crustaceans in Cold Seep Ecosystems: Fossil Record, Geographic Distribution, Taxonomic Composition, and Biology

      • Adiël A. Klompmaker, Torrey Nyborg, Jamie Brezina, Yusuke Ando
      Pages 123-200
    4. Non-calcareous Tubeworms in Ancient Hydrocarbon Seeps

      • Magdalena N. Georgieva, Crispin T. S. Little
      Pages 201-214
    5. Brachiopods at Hydrocarbon Seeps

      • Andrzej BaliÅ„ski, Maria Aleksandra Bitner, MichaÅ‚ Jakubowicz
      Pages 223-251
    6. Extant and Fossil Sponges Associated with Hydrothermal Vent and Cold Seep Communities

      • Andrzej Pisera, Krzysztof Hryniewicz, Maria Aleksandra Bitner, Andrzej Kaim
      Pages 253-266
    7. Bivalvia in Ancient Hydrocarbon Seeps

      • Kazutaka Amano, Steffen Kiel, Krzysztof Hryniewicz, Robert G. Jenkins
      Pages 267-321
    8. Ammonites as Inhabitants of Ancient Hydrocarbon Seeps

      • Neil H. Landman, Neal L. Larson, J. Kirk Cochran, Jamie Brezina, Matthew P. Garb
      Pages 375-406
    9. Echinoderms at Ancient Hydrocarbon Seeps and Cognate Communities

      • Jamie Brezina, Neal L. Larson, Neil H. Landman
      Pages 407-418
  4. Fossil Seep Ecosystems

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 423-423
    2. Methane Seeps in the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway, USA

      • Neil H. Landman, J. Kirk Cochran, Jamie Brezina, Neal L. Larson, Matthew P. Garb, Kimberly C. Meehan et al.
      Pages 425-477
    3. Middle Palaeozoic of Morocco: The Earliest-Known Methane Seep Metazoan Ecosystems

      • MichaÅ‚ Jakubowicz, BÅ‚ażej Berkowski, Krzysztof Hryniewicz, ZdzisÅ‚aw Belka
      Pages 479-516

About this book

This volume details the function of hydrocarbon seeps, their evolution over time, the most important seep occurrences and the fauna present in ancient hydrocarbon seeps. While several publications exist that cover modern seeps and vents, fossil seeps only constitute a small component of the literature. As such, many geologists, stratigraphers and paleontologists, as well as undergraduates and graduate students, are not very familiar with ancient hydrocarbon seep deposits and their associated fauna. This text is the first to comprehensively discuss the nature of such animal groups and how to recognize them. In addition to summarizing available knowledge on these topics for specialists in the field, this book offers the background needed to be of use to students as well as the wider community of geologists and paleontologists.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland

    Andrzej Kaim

  • School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA

    J. Kirk Cochran

  • Department of Invertebrate Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA

    Neil H. Landman

About the editors

Dr. Andrzej Kaim is Associate Professor at the Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland. His research interests include the early ontogeny and phylogeny of mollusks, in particular gastropods, and the recovery and paleodiversity patterns of benthic marine faunas after the Permian-Triassic extinction event. In the last 25 years he has worked on the origin and evolution of chemoautotrophic communities studying material from a variety of ancient hydrocarbon seeps, ranging from the Arctic to the Antarctic and the U.S. Pacific Coast to Japan. 


Dr. J. Kirk Cochran is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, New York. His research interests include the use of isotope systems as tracers for processes in modern aquatic environments, including the coastal and open ocean, lakes, rivers and groundwater. He has also used isotope geochemistry as a tool for deciphering ancient marine environments, including the Western Interior Seaway of North America and hydrocarbon seeps.   


Dr. Neil H. Landman is Curator Emeritus in the Division of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History, New York. His interests include the evolution of externally shelled cephalopods, especially ammonites, the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary event, and the Upper Cretaceous Western Interior of North America. In the last 20 years, he has worked together with colleagues and students to study ancient hydrocarbon seeps.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access