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Use of AMS 14C Analysis in the Study of Problems in Aspartic Acid Racemization-Deduced Age Estimates on Bone

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Paul Ennis
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside 92521
E A Noltmann
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside 92521
P E Hare
Affiliation:
Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institute of Washington 20008
P J Slota Jr
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, University of California, Riverside 92521
L A Payen
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, University of California, Riverside 92521
C A Prior
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, University of California, Riverside 92521
R E Taylor
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, University of California, Riverside 92521
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Abstract

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Major discordances between AMS 14C- and aspartic acid racemization (AAR)-deduced age estimates on bone samples have led to an examination of factors other than time and temperature that can fundamentally influence the degree of racemization observed in fossil bone. Our studies support previous suggestions that for many bone samples the chemical state of amino acids must be routinely considered if AAR-deduced age estimates are to be used to make meaningful chronologic inferences.

Type
IV. Methods and Applications
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

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