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Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods pp 239–246Cite as

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) Dating of Fossil Tooth Enamel

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Synonyms

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) dating of fossil tooth enamel

Definitions

Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating: a chronometric dating method based on the evaluation of the exposure of some materials to natural radioactivity, which is quantified in terms of absorbed radiation dose and corresponds to the energy deposited in the matter by ionizing radiations.

D E : equivalent dose. The total absorbed radiation dose as measured in the laboratory.

ka: 1,000 years.

Ma: 1,000,000 years.

Introduction

The first ESR dating applications to fossil bones were published in the early 1980s (e.g., Ikeya and Miki, 1980). Given the potential of this kind of material, studies were quickly reoriented toward fossil tooth enamel, which has more suitable characteristics for dating (Grün and Schwarcz, 1987). Then, the method progressively gained in accuracy over the following decades, especially via a better understanding of the ESR signal of fossil enamel and its behavior with the absorbed...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ESR dating laboratory, Geochronology program, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo de Atapuerca s/n, 09002, Burgos, España

    Mathieu Duval

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  1. Mathieu Duval
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Correspondence to Mathieu Duval .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    W. Jack Rink  & Jeroen W. Thompson  & 

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Duval, M. (2015). Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) Dating of Fossil Tooth Enamel. In: Jack Rink, W., Thompson, J.W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6304-3_71

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