Pecten as a new substrate for IcPD dating: the Quaternary raised beaches in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece

TY - JOUR

T1 - Pecten as a new substrate for IcPD dating

T2 - the Quaternary raised beaches in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece

AU - Pierini, Federica

AU - Demarchi, Beatrice

AU - Turner, Jenni

AU - Penkman, Kirsty Elizabeth Helena

N1 - This is an author produced version of a paper published in Quarternary Geochronology. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.

PY - 2016/2/1

Y1 - 2016/2/1

N2 - Intra-crystalline protein diagenesis (IcPD), a recent development of amino acid racemization dating (AAR), is now established as a reliable geochronological tool for the Quaternary. However, extending the method to new biominerals requires extensive testing in order to provide evidence for the closed-system behaviour of the intra-crystalline proteins and to assess the temporal span that can be covered.Here we present results from high-temperature experiments on the IcPD of the bivalve Pecten, demonstrating that a fraction of proteins can be isolated from a bleach-resistant mineral matrix, which effectively operates as a closed system under conditions of accelerated diagenesis in the laboratory. Analyses of Pecten from the well-dated terrace system of the Gulf of Corinth (Greece) provided a pilot test for the integrity of the intra-crystalline fraction in subfossil shells. The small sample sizes in this preliminary study preclude a full assessment of the aminostratigraphic power of Pecten IcPD, but a concordance is observed between the extent of IcPD and sites dating from between MIS 5 and MIS 11.We conclude that Pecten is a potentially good substrate for IcPD dating in the Mediterranean, and that the temporal limit of the technique in this area lies beyond MIS 11.

AB - Intra-crystalline protein diagenesis (IcPD), a recent development of amino acid racemization dating (AAR), is now established as a reliable geochronological tool for the Quaternary. However, extending the method to new biominerals requires extensive testing in order to provide evidence for the closed-system behaviour of the intra-crystalline proteins and to assess the temporal span that can be covered.Here we present results from high-temperature experiments on the IcPD of the bivalve Pecten, demonstrating that a fraction of proteins can be isolated from a bleach-resistant mineral matrix, which effectively operates as a closed system under conditions of accelerated diagenesis in the laboratory. Analyses of Pecten from the well-dated terrace system of the Gulf of Corinth (Greece) provided a pilot test for the integrity of the intra-crystalline fraction in subfossil shells. The small sample sizes in this preliminary study preclude a full assessment of the aminostratigraphic power of Pecten IcPD, but a concordance is observed between the extent of IcPD and sites dating from between MIS 5 and MIS 11.We conclude that Pecten is a potentially good substrate for IcPD dating in the Mediterranean, and that the temporal limit of the technique in this area lies beyond MIS 11.

KW - Intra-crystalline proteins; Pecten (scallop) shell; amino acid racemization (AAR); dating; raised beaches; Mediterranean

U2 - 10.1016/j.quageo.2015.10.006

DO - 10.1016/j.quageo.2015.10.006

M3 - Article

SN - 1871-1014

VL - 31

SP - 40

EP - 52

JO - Quaternary Geochronology

JF - Quaternary Geochronology

ER -