Complementary Use of Amino-Acid Epimerization and Radiocarbon Analysis for Dating of Mixed-Age Fossil Assemblages

Datos Bibliográficos

ID9242530
AutoresGlenn A Goodfriend
Año1989
Volumen31
Número03
Páginas1041-1047
Fecha de publicación1989-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaRadiocarbon (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0033-8222 • E-ISSN: 1945-5755
EditorialCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0033822200012698
OpenAlexW2498843675
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas6
Referencias citadas1

Several approaches to dealing with the problem of mixed-age fossil assemblages are presented. These involve the use of amino-acid epimerization analysis (D-alloisoleucine/L-isoleucine ratio, or A/I) and are illustrated by deposits of land snail shells. This method requires only very small samples, so shells can be analyzed individually. Mixed-age deposits are indicated when variation in A/I among individual shells within the deposit exceeds the analytical error. Methods are presented for 1) estimating the true time of deposition of slightly-mixed-age assemblages based on bulk 14 C dates and epimer analyses, 2) selection (for 14 C analysis) of a set of individual shells that are uniform in age and represent the true time of deposition, and 3) estimating ages of individual shells within a mixed-age deposit based on their A/I ratios

Absolute dating · Gastropoda · Land snail · Mineralogy · Radiocarbon dating · Chemistry · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Geology · Paleontology