Global Team Boosts Radiocarbon Dating with Marine Fossils
An international study involving ANSTO researchers has determined that sedimentation is the primary factor in the 'time averaging' of marine fossils. By analyzing over 7,500 samples, the team developed new guidelines for paleontological research using radiocarbon dating.
Why it matters
This research improves the accuracy of dating Earth's history and provides a framework for interpreting fossil records in marine environments.
Sedimentation is more important than other factors in the 'time averaging' of marine fossils
The investigators analysed more than 7,500 fossils, which were collected from a variety of oceanic environments around the world
The study decodes a fundamental process in Earth's history and provides guidelines regarding the types of research questions that palaeontologists can investigate using marine fossils
ANSTO has contributed to a large international study which decodes a fundamental process in Earth's history and provides guidelines regarding the types of research questions that palaeontologists can investigate using marine fossils.
Dr Quan Hua, an authority on radiocarbon dating, reconstructed regional marine post-bomb radiocarbon curves for age calibration of the fossil samples used in the research.
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