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Racemization of Amino Acids in Bones

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Abstract

IT has been shown that the extent of racemization of amino acids in a fossil can be used with certain limitations to estimate the age of the specimen1–6. For this dating work it is necessary to understand the kinetics and mechanism of the reactions involved. Here we show, by kinetic studies using modern bovine bone fragments heated in sealed ampoules for various time periods at several elevated temperatures, that the order of racemization rates of amino acids in bone is aspartic acid>alanine=glutamic acid>isoleucine≅leucine. Fossil bones not contaminated with modern amino acids are shown to have the same sequence of racemization rates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Scripps Institution of Oceanography,

    JEFFREY L. BADA

  2. Institute of Marine Resources, University of California, San Diego, Post Box 109, La Jolla, California, 92038

    JEFFREY L. BADA

  3. Planetary Biology Division, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, 94035

    KEITH A. KVENVOLDEN & ETTA PETERSON

Authors
  1. JEFFREY L. BADA
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  2. KEITH A. KVENVOLDEN
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  3. ETTA PETERSON
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BADA, J., KVENVOLDEN, K. & PETERSON, E. Racemization of Amino Acids in Bones. Nature 245, 308–310 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/245308a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/245308a0

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