Radiocarbon, sup 13 C and sup 15 N analysis of fossil bone: Removal of humates with XAD-2 resin
- Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC (USA)
- Univ. of Arizona, Tucson (USA)
Humic acids are the predominant source of error in the {sup 14}C and stable isotope analysis of fossil bone organic matter. XAD-2 resin will quantitatively remove humates and give the highest yields of protein from bones with variable types of preservation. Decalcified bone, gelatin and base-leached residues can vary up to 5{per thousand} for {delta}{sup 13}C and by 1{per thousand} on {delta}{sup 15}N relative to XAD-treated fractions. Simultaneous analysis of {sup 14}C age, {delta}{sup 13}C and {delta}{sup 15}N is recommended because each isotope value can be independently affected by the bone's diagenetic history. Radiocarbon analysis is the most sensitive and {delta}{sup 15}N is least sensitive for detecting exogenous organic matter. The uncertainty of analyses on the best pretreated protein is {plus minus} 0.5{per thousand} for both {delta}{sup 13}C and {delta}{sup 15}N and is larger than previous estimates. The accuracy for all isotope analyses will be better assessed by using individual amino acids instead of total collagenous residues. Inaccurate {sup 14}C dates on severely degraded bone are an indication that this class of fossils may be unsuitable for any isotopic analysis.
- OSTI ID:
- 5151954
- Journal Information:
- Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA), Vol. 52:9; ISSN 0016-7037
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BONE TISSUES
DEMINERALIZATION
DIAGENESIS
ISOTOPE DATING
HUMIC ACIDS
REMOVAL
ACCURACY
CARBON 13
COLLAGEN
DISSOLUTION
ISOTOPE RATIO
NITROGEN 15
PROTEINS
RESIDUES
AGE ESTIMATION
ANIMAL TISSUES
BODY
CARBON ISOTOPES
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NITROGEN ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SCLEROPROTEINS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STABLE ISOTOPES
TISSUES
580000* - Geosciences