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Preparative centrifugation — a new method for preparing pollen concentrates suitable for radiocarbon dating by AMS

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Abstract

Methods of preparative centrifugation eliminate many of the difficulties involved in preparing pollen concentrates from deposits rich in resistant organic material. Density centrifugation for the separation of pollen from a gyttja sample rich in resistant organic matter was tested. Combining centrifugations in two CsCl solutions, one of higher density and one of lower density than pollen, a pure pollen fraction was successfully prepared. Data on the isodensity and sedimentation rate of ‘fossilized’ recent pollen from twelve tree taxa are also presented, and the potential for separating a single taxon from pollen assemblages is demonstrated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Quaternary Geology, Lund University, Tornavägen 13, S-223 63, Lund, Sweden

    Joachim Regnéll

  2. Department of Microbiology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 21, S-223 62, Lund, Sweden

    Einar Everitt

Authors
  1. Joachim Regnéll
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  2. Einar Everitt
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Regnéll, J., Everitt, E. Preparative centrifugation — a new method for preparing pollen concentrates suitable for radiocarbon dating by AMS. Veget Hist Archaebot 5, 201–205 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217497

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217497

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