Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Dec 1987
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1987gecoa..51.3209m&link_type=abstract
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 51, Issue 12, pp.3209-3214
Mathematics
Logic
Scientific paper
Preferential preservation of noncollagenous proteins (NCP) in diagenetically altered bone will affect amino acid compositions, inflate D / L aspartic acid ratios, and increase C / N ratios. Human skeletal remains representing both well preserved (collagenous) and diagenetically altered (noncollagenous) bones were selected from several southern California coastal archaeological sites that date from 8400 to 4100 years B.P. Amino acid compositions of the poorly preserved samples resembled NCP, which are probably retained by adsorption to the hydroxyapatite mineral phase of bone whereas collagen is degraded and lost to the environment over time. Since the racemization rate of aspartic acid in NCP is an order of magnitude faster than in collagen, the conservation of NCP in diagenetically altered bone can explain the high D / L aspartic acid ratios, and the erroneous Upper Pleistocene racemization ages calculated from these ratios, for several California Indian burials. Amino acid compositional analyses also indicated a non-amino acid source of nitrogen in the poorly preserved samples, which may account for their lower C / N ratios despite the acidic amino acid profiles typical of NCP. Preservation of NCP rather than collagen also precludes the extraction of a gelatin residue for radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analyses, but remnant NCP can yield apparently accurate radiocarbon dates. As collagen and phosphoprotein purified from a sample of modern human dentin have the same 13 C and 15 N values, remnant NCP may also be useful for paleodiet reconstructions based on stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions. Dentin collagen appears to be more resistant to diagenetic changes than does bone collagen. Consequently, dentin promises to be a more reliable material than bone for chronometric and stable isotope measurements.
No associations
LandOfFree
Preferential preservation of noncollagenous protein during bone diagenesis: Implications for chronometric and stable isotopic measurements does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Preferential preservation of noncollagenous protein during bone diagenesis: Implications for chronometric and stable isotopic measurements, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Preferential preservation of noncollagenous protein during bone diagenesis: Implications for chronometric and stable isotopic measurements will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-902054