Stable isotopes in the shell organic matrix for (paleo)environmental reconstructions.

ABSTRACT: Stable isotope ratios of mollusc shell carbonates have long been used to reconstruct past environmental conditions. Although shells also contain organics, they are seldom used in (paleo)climatic studies. Here, we extract the acid-soluble and insoluble fractions of the organic matrix of modern Mytilus galloprovincialis shells from three sites along a coast-to-upper-estuary environmental gradient to measure their hydrogen (δ²H) and oxygen (δ¹⁸O) isotope compositions. Both organic fractions showed isotopic signatures significantly different from those of carbonate and water at each site, indicating the involvement of different fractionation mechanisms. The soluble fraction showed gradual differences in isotope values along the gradient, while the insoluble fraction showe

SUBMITTER: Palecek D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10796374 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature