Rare earth element contents of Jurassic fish and reptile teeth and their potential relation to seawater composition (Anglo-Paris Basin, France and England)
The rare earth element (REE) chemistry of Jurassic shelf seawater from western Europe (Anglo-Paris Basin) was investigated by analyzing the fish and reptile teeth deposited in shallow to deeper water (<200 m) environments. REE patterns in apatites are controlled by the host sediments. Vertebrate teeth sampled from the siliciclastic sediments (calcareous sandstones and shales) show flat shale-normalized REE patterns that reflect the dominant influence of the continental source from which the REE were derived. Carbonate deposits, protected from the clastic sources, contain fish and reptile teeth whose REE patterns reflect more accurately the REE composition of the overlying water column. The …
Goldschmidt Abstracts 2010 – F
We report on two novel procedures for the determination of several trace elements in seawater, including elements characterized by very low abundance (sub-0.1 to 1 ng l-1) in the ocean, such as REEs, Hf, and Th. Our methods are based on the procedure developed recently by Bayon et al. [1], and applied successfully to a wide range of geological samples. It involves addition of a Tm spike and pre-concentration using co-precipitation, prior to analysis by inductively coupled plasma-sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS). The addition of a small amount of Tm to the sample produces a positive Tm anomaly in the resulting REE pattern, which allows calculation of precise trace element concentrat…
Stable isotope composition and rare earth element content of vertebrate remains from the Late Cretaceous of northern Spain (Laño): did the environmental record survive?
Abstract Oxygen and carbon isotope measurements have been performed on phosphatic remains from faunal associations (dinosaurs, crocodiles, turtles and fish) of the Late Cretaceous continental and marine sediments from northern Spain (Basque Country). The environmental meaning of the oxygen isotope record in fossil reptiles is discussed on the basis of known paleoecology, modern fauna analogs, and apatite chemistry (rare earth elements (REE), CO32− and PO43− contents). Fossil remains in sandstones and argillites from two localities (Urria and Cuezva) have low (down to 16‰) and scattered δ18O(PO4,CO3) and δ13C values with REE patterns characterized by strong middle REE enrichments. These geoc…