Variations of oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios in deer bones and their potential in paleoclimatology

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:6462846

Luz, B; Schwarcz, H P; Cormie, A B

Variations of deltaO-18 of bone phosphate (deltap) and deltaD of bone collagen of white tailed deer, were studied in samples with wide geographic distribution in North America. There is a linear relationship between deltaO-18 of local precipitation (deltaw) and deltap (deltap=0.54deltaw+21.53; r=0.81). Scatter about the regression line is related to estimation errors of deltaw and to changes in relative humidity. Low relative humidity results in highly O-18 enriched leaf water, which may lead to similar enrichment in bones of deer, that depend on leaves as a major source of food. Linear correlation between deltaD and deltap is high (r=0.93), suggesting that both variables depend on variations in isotopic composition of local environmental water. Samples from arid regions are highly enriched in O-18 and deviate from the regression line. This raises the possibility of estimating past changes in relative humidity by simultaneous analysis of deltap and deltaD in fossil bones.

• Research Organization: McMaster Univ., Hamilton, ON (Canada)
• OSTI ID: 6462846
• Report Number(s): CONF-8510489-
• Journal Information: Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States), Vol. 17; Conference: 98. annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Orlando, FL, USA, 28 Oct 1985
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
FOSSILS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ISOTOPE RATIO
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
DEER
GEOCHEMISTRY
HUMIDITY
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
VARIATIONS
ANIMALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMISTRY
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
PALEONTOLOGY
RUMINANTS
VERTEBRATES
580100* - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)
580400 - Geochemistry- (-1989)