Wide range of racemization of amino acids in peptides from human fossil bone and its implications for amino acid racemization dating

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(92)90094-Y· OSTI ID:5262952

Kimber, R W.L.; Hare, P E ^[1]

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1. Carnegie Institution, Washington, DC (United States)

Aspartic acid from an HCl hydrolyzed portion of 20-25th Dynasty Egyptian bone gave a D/L value of 0.28. Various peptide and molecular weight fractions separated before hydrolysis from another aliquot of the same bone portion yielded D/L aspartic acid values ranging from 0.09 to 0.68. Higher molecular weight and higher content of hydrophobic amino acids are factors leading to lower D/L aspartic acid values. Insoluble, high molecular weight polypeptide residues showed very low D/L aspartic acid values of 0.09. The authors propose that particularly stable peptides be isolated and characterized and then used for comparison with similarly isolated peptides from other fossil bone samples for purposes of age estimation.

• OSTI ID: 5262952
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States), Journal Name: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States) Vol. 56:2; ISSN GCACA; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
AGE ESTIMATION
AMINO ACIDS
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SPECIMENS
ARCHAEOLOGY
BODY
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DECOMPOSITION
FOSSILS
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLYSIS
INORGANIC ACIDS
LYSIS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PEPTIDES
PROTEINS
RACEMIZATION
SKELETON
SOLVOLYSIS
STEREOCHEMISTRY
VARIATIONS