Dating the Paleolithic: Trapped Charge Methods and Amino Acid Geochronology

Overview

Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Specialty Science

Date 2022 Oct 17

PMID 36252044

Authors

Kirsty E H Penkman

Geoff A T Duller

Helen M Roberts

Debra Colarossi

Marc R Dickinson

Dustin White

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Despite the vast array of different geochronological tools available, dating the Paleolithic remains one of the discipline's greatest challenges. This review focuses on two different dating approaches: trapped charge and amino acid geochronology. While differing in their fundamental principles, both exploit time-dependent changes in signals found within crystals to generate a chronology for the material dated and hence, the associated deposits. Within each method, there is a diverse range of signals that can be analyzed, each covering different time ranges, applicable to different materials and suitable for different paleoenvironmental and archaeological contexts. This multiplicity of signals can at first sight appear confusing, but it is a fundamental strength of the techniques, allowing internal checks for consistency and providing more information than simply a chronology. For each technique, we present an overview of the basis for the time-dependent signals and the types of material that can be analyzed, with examples of their archaeological application, as well as their future potential.

Citing Articles

Deep-time paleogenomics and the limits of DNA survival.

Dalen L, Heintzman P, Kapp J, Shapiro B Science. 2023; 382(6666):48-53.

PMID: 37797036 PMC: 10586222. DOI: 10.1126/science.adh7943.

Current developments and future directions in archaeological science.

Pilaar Birch S, Szpak P Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022; 119(43):e2212490119.

PMID: 36252010 PMC: 9618125. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2212490119.

References

Dirks P, Roberts E, Hilbert-Wolf H, Kramers J, Hawks J, Dosseto A . The age of and associated sediments in the Rising Star Cave, South Africa. Elife. 2017; 6. PMC: 5423772. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.24231. View

Antoine P, Moncel M, Voinchet P, Locht J, Amselem D, Herisson D . The earliest evidence of Acheulian occupation in Northwest Europe and the rediscovery of the Moulin Quignon site, Somme valley, France. Sci Rep. 2019; 9(1):13091. PMC: 6739401. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49400-w. View

Arsuaga J, Martinez I, Arnold L, Aranburu A, Gracia-Tellez A, Sharp W . Neandertal roots: Cranial and chronological evidence from Sima de los Huesos. Science. 2014; 344(6190):1358-63. DOI: 10.1126/science.1253958. View

Miller , MaGee , Johnson , Fogel , Spooner , McCulloch . Pleistocene extinction of genyornis newtoni: human impact on australian megafauna . Science. 1999; 283(5399):205-8. DOI: 10.1126/science.283.5399.205. View

Cappellini E, Welker F, Pandolfi L, Ramos-Madrigal J, Samodova D, Ruther P . Early Pleistocene enamel proteome from Dmanisi resolves Stephanorhinus phylogeny. Nature. 2019; 574(7776):103-107. PMC: 6894936. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1555-y. View

Demarchi B, Collins M, Bergstrom E, Dowle A, Penkman K, Thomas-Oates J . New experimental evidence for in-chain amino acid racemization of serine in a model peptide. Anal Chem. 2013; 85(12):5835-42. DOI: 10.1021/ac4005869. View

Gries K, Kroger R, Kubel C, Fritz M, Rosenauer A . Investigations of voids in the aragonite platelets of nacre. Acta Biomater. 2009; 5(8):3038-44. DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2009.04.017. View

Hendy E, Tomiak P, Collins M, Hellstrom J, Tudhope A, Lough J . Assessing amino acid racemization variability in coral intra-crystalline protein for geochronological applications. Geochim Cosmochim Acta. 2013; 86(9-2):338-353. PMC: 3617617. DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2012.02.020. View

Penkman K, Kaufman D, Maddy D, Collins M . Closed-system behaviour of the intra-crystalline fraction of amino acids in mollusc shells. Quat Geochronol. 2009; 3(1-2):2-25. PMC: 2727006. DOI: 10.1016/j.quageo.2007.07.001. View

10.

Welker F, Ramos-Madrigal J, Gutenbrunner P, Mackie M, Tiwary S, Jersie-Christensen R . The dental proteome of Homo antecessor. Nature. 2020; 580(7802):235-238. PMC: 7582224. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2153-8. View

11.

Baleka S, Herridge V, Catalano G, Lister A, Dickinson M, Di Patti C . Estimating the dwarfing rate of an extinct Sicilian elephant. Curr Biol. 2021; 31(16):3606-3612.e7. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.037. View

12.

Miller G, Beaumont P, Jull A, Johnson B . Pleistocene geochronology and palaeothermometry from protein diagenesis in ostrich eggshells: implications for the evolution of modern humans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1992; 337(1280):149-57. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.1992.0092. View

13.

Clarkson C, Jacobs Z, Marwick B, Fullagar R, Wallis L, Smith M . Human occupation of northern Australia by 65,000 years ago. Nature. 2017; 547(7663):306-310. DOI: 10.1038/nature22968. View

14.

Kriausakul N, Mitterer R . Isoleucine epimerization in peptides and proteins: kinetic factors and application to fossil proteins. Science. 1978; 201(4360):1011-4. DOI: 10.1126/science.201.4360.1011. View

15.

Richter D, Grun R, Joannes-Boyau R, Steele T, Amani F, Rue M . The age of the hominin fossils from Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, and the origins of the Middle Stone Age. Nature. 2017; 546(7657):293-296. DOI: 10.1038/nature22335. View

16.

Grun R, Brink J, Spooner N, Taylor L, Stringer C, Franciscus R . Direct dating of Florisbad hominid. Nature. 1996; 382(6591):500-1. DOI: 10.1038/382500a0. View

17.

Brooks A, Hare P, Kokis J, Miller G, Ernst R, Wendorf F . Dating pleistocene archeological sites by protein diagenesis in ostrich eggshell. Science. 1990; 248(4951):60-4. DOI: 10.1126/science.248.4951.60. View

18.

Sier M, Roebroeks W, Bakels C, Dekkers M, Bruhl E, De Loecker D . Direct terrestrial-marine correlation demonstrates surprisingly late onset of the last interglacial in central Europe. Quat Res. 2015; 75(1):213-8. PMC: 4600610. DOI: 10.1016/j.yqres.2010.11.003. View

19.

Penkman K, Preece R, Bridgland D, Keen D, Meijer T, Parfitt S . An aminostratigraphy for the British Quaternary based on Bithynia opercula. Quat Sci Rev. 2013; 61(C):111-134. PMC: 3566634. DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2012.10.046. View

20.

Toyoda , Voinchet , Falgueres , Dolo , Laurent . Bleaching of ESR signals by the sunlight: a laboratory experiment for establishing the ESR dating of sediments. Appl Radiat Isot. 2000; 52(5):1357-62. DOI: 10.1016/s0969-8043(00)00095-6. View