A protocol for radiocarbon dating tropical subfossil cave guano

Link to Full Text

Download Full Text

Publication Date

1-1-2009

Abstract

We present accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates on several organic fractions isolated from tropical guano deposits recovered from insular Southeast Asia. Differences were observed between 14C measurements made on bulk guano as well as bulk lipids, the saturated hydrocarbon fraction, solvent-extracted guano, and insect cuticles extracted from the same bulk sample. We infer that 14C dates from the bulk lipid fraction and saturated hydrocarbon fractions can be variably contaminated by exogenous carbon. In contrast, 14C measurements on solvent-extracted guano and isolated insect cuticles appear to yield the most robust age determinations.

Keywords

Radiocarbon dating, Guano, Asia, Southeast Asia

Geographic Subject

Asia; Southeast Asia

Document Type

Article

Notes

Volume 51, Issue 3

Identifier

K26-05392

Link to Full Text

Share

 
COinS