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Amino acid racemization in mammalian bones and teeth from La Chaise‐de‐Vouthon (Charente), France
Author(s) -
Blackwell Bonnie,
Rutter N. W.,
Debénath A.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
geoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1520-6548
pISSN - 0883-6353
DOI - 10.1002/gea.3340050203
Subject(s) - racemization , diagenesis , amino acid , paleontology , pleistocene , conodont , geology , range (aeronautics) , archaeology , chemistry , biostratigraphy , geography , stereochemistry , materials science , biochemistry , composite material
A controlled test of the amino acid dating method as it is currently being applied to bones and teeth was attempted for the time range 100‐250 ka, beyond that of 14 C, at the archeological site of La Chaise‐de‐Vouthon (Charente, France). In Bourgeois‐Delaunay, mammal fossils associated with Paleolithic artifacts were collected from layers dated at 101 ± 12 to 114 ± 7 ka by 230 Th/ 230 dating of the over‐ and underlying stalagmitic floors. Racemization ratios for most amino acids were significantly lower than for comparably aged materials from other European sites. Regardless of the rate constants used, most amino acid dates were incorrect. Large associated errors spanned the late Pleistocene, making the dates useless for discriminating archaeological or geological events. Stratigraphic correlations using any tissue were also problematic. Relative interacid ratios varied with age, indicating that diagenetic alteration had affected racemization. Therefore, amino acid relative and absolute dating cannot be accurately applied to mid‐Pleistocene bones or teeth.