Bioapatite, being the principal mineral component of bones and teeth, is ubiquitously present in vertebrates and represent a valuable archive of information: from paleoclimate to ecological behavior and diet, from migration patterns and hunting strategies to body temperature reconstructions.
However, applying the clumped isotope thermometer to bioapatite requires large amount of sample material necessary: about 3 g of material for 10 replicates analysis[REF]. This represents a major obstacle because extensive sampling is often discouraged, especially when dealing with unique fossil specimens.
The Kiel IV Carbonate Device in its LIDI configuration[REF] might represent a solution to further reduce sample size.
However, apatite has always been acid digested at temperature of 90 or 110 °C and thus it is still unclear if the lower temperature of 70 °C (the maximum achievable by the Kiel IV) is enough to completely digest bioapatite material and yield accurate ∆47 values.
Here the poster presented at the 8th Clumped Isotope Workshop held in Jerusalem (2022) presenting some of the results produced for this project:
However, applying the clumped isotope thermometer to bioapatite requires large amount of sample material necessary: about 3 g of material for 10 replicates analysis[REF]. This represents a major obstacle because extensive sampling is often discouraged, especially when dealing with unique fossil specimens.
The Kiel IV Carbonate Device in its LIDI configuration[REF] might represent a solution to further reduce sample size.
However, apatite has always been acid digested at temperature of 90 or 110 °C and thus it is still unclear if the lower temperature of 70 °C (the maximum achievable by the Kiel IV) is enough to completely digest bioapatite material and yield accurate ∆47 values.
Here the poster presented at the 8th Clumped Isotope Workshop held in Jerusalem (2022) presenting some of the results produced for this project:
