Table 1.

Summary of top eight best-fitting age distributions for individual fatty acids and combined long-chain fatty acids (Comb. n-C₂₄₋₃₂) according to RMSE.

FA	σFast (yrs)	σSlow (yrs)	μFast (yrs)	μSlow (yrs)	Fast Avg. Age (yrs)	Slow Avg. Age (yrs)	fSlow
n-C16	5–7.5	250	0–2	0–100	4–6	199–240	0.84–0.86
n-C24	7.5	500–1250	12–15	0–1000	13–15	941–1059	0.73–0.76
n-C26	7.5–10	500–1250	15–16	0–1000	15–17	941–1028	0.80–0.84
n-C28	7.5–10	750–1500	8–9	0–1050	10–11	1167–1312	0.78–0.81
n-C30+32	12.5	750–2250	25	0–1600	26	1541–1853	0.70–0.74
Comb. n-C24−32	7.5	500–1500	15	0–1050	15	1028–1202	n-C24: 0.68–0.71
							n-C26: 0.78–0.81
							n-C28: 0.78–0.82
							n-C30+32: 0.88–0.93
							Avg. long-chain: 0.79–0.83

While each simulated fast- or slow-cycling age distribution had only a single μ and σ value, the ranges reported in the table reflect the range of individual μ and σ values that define the top eight best-fitting age distributions. The last table entry for combined long-chain fatty acids reflects the additional modeling experiment of keeping the fast and slow-cycling endmembers (μ and σ) constant for all n-C₂₄₊ fatty acids while allowing the fractional contribution to vary independently for each homologue, hence the f_slow values listed for each homologue under Comb. n-C₂₄₋₃₂.