Ta1_P02

Chronological records in animal tissues

Pachnerova Brabcova K¹, Kufnerova J¹, Valasek V¹, John D^1,2, Petrova M¹, Brychova V¹, Svetlik I¹

¹Nuclear Physics Institute of the CAS, Praha, Czech Republic, ²Czech Technical University in Prague, Praha, Czech Republic

Radiocarbon dating of recent and near-future samples faces an inability to distinguish these from the pre-bomb peak ones. It is caused by radiocarbon levels decline to pre-bomb activities.

If the samples in question are of the animal tissues, such as protected species being dated for legal purposes, possible mitigation of this unfavourable trend lies in exploitation of the tissue chronological record. In the best case, the known chronology can anchor the sequence on radiocarbon calibration curve, and thus reduce the ambiguity of the dating results.

Our research aims on tissues of several endangered species, such as ivory of elephants (Loxodonta africana), scales of pangolins (Smutsia gigantea, Manis tricuspis), or tortoise shells (Testuda hermanni, Testudo graeca, Testudo marginata). Radiocarbon dating of incremental lines was accompanied with other analysis, optical and scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence.