Interpretation prevalence affecting

It also appears that further clues about hopanoid origins can be drawn from the polar side-chains which carry different numbers and types of substituents. This, in turn, affects their subsequent diagenesis and the types of hopane hydrocarbon, ketone, and other products that are recorded in sediments. In addition to the diagnostic 3j8-methyl substituents, hexafunctionalized side-chains are prevalent in Type 1 methanotrophic bacteria (Neunlist and Rohmer, 1985 Zundel and Rohmer, 1985a). The hydroxy substituent at C-31 of these compounds appears to assist oxidative loss of this carbon or the one at C-30, resulting in a predominance of C30 hopane and 30-norhopane products where methanotrophs are prevalent or even dominant (e.g., Burhan et aL, 2002 Rohmer et ai, 1992). Anomalous C-depletion of these hopanoids often observed in sediments and oils is quite consistent with this interpretation (e.g.. Summons et ai, 2002). 

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