The Racemization Reaction of Isoleucine used as a Palaeotemperature Indicator

IT has been shown that the slow racemization reaction of amino-acids can be used in geochronology 1–4 . One reaction of particular interest is that involving isoleucine. The racemization of L -isoleucine (iso) produces the non-protein amino-acid D -alloisoleucine (alleu), and these two can be separa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 1973, Vol.241 (5389), p.394-395
Main Authors: BADA, JEFFREY L., PROTSCH, REINER, SCHROEDER, ROY A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Humanities and Social Sciences
letter
multidisciplinary
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:IT has been shown that the slow racemization reaction of amino-acids can be used in geochronology 1–4 . One reaction of particular interest is that involving isoleucine. The racemization of L -isoleucine (iso) produces the non-protein amino-acid D -alloisoleucine (alleu), and these two can be separated on an automatic amino-acid analyser. The isoleucine racemization reaction in bone has a half-life at 20° C in excess of 100,000 years and preliminary evidence suggests that the reaction can be used to date fossil bones too old to be dated by radiocarbon 4 .
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/241394a0