Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-lvtdw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-15T03:32:28.291Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Chronostratigraphic Studies of Sediments in the Negev Desert, Using Amino Acid Epimerization Analysis of Land Snail Shells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Glenn A. Goodfriend
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The chronostratigraphy of mostly Holocene sediments in the Northern Negev desert of Israel was studied through amino acid epimerization analysis (alloisoleucine/isoleucine ratio, A/I) of individual land snail shells and 14C analysis of bulk samples of land snail shells contained within the sediments. Analysis of 31 deposits shows a very strong correlation between A/I and 14C age. A/I analyses indicate that age mixtures occur within all colluvial and in some fluvial deposits. Consequently, radiocarbon dates of bulk samples, which give an average age, overestimate the time of deposition. Sedimentation rates were generally rapid in both fluvial and colluvial deposits. Colluviation shows a maximum in the early Holocene and decreases progressively thereafter, in accordance with the change in average rainfall. Accumulation of fluvial sediments shows a distinct mid-Holocene maximum and apparently relates to the interaction between variation in rainfall, extent of bedrock exposure, and vegetation density. Late Holocene fluvial deposition may relate to agricultural activity. The understanding of the chronology of sedimentation is dependent on an integrated approach employing amino acid epimerization analysis to study age variation within a layer and 14C analyses for establishment of an absolute chronology.

Type
Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 28 , Issue 3 , November 1987 , pp. 374 - 392
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bada, J.L. Gillespie, R. Gowlett, J.A.J. Hedges, R.E.M. Accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon ages of amino acid extracts from California palaeoindian skeletons. Nature (London) 312 1984 442 444 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bowman, D. Karnieli, A. Issar, A. Bruins, H.J. Residual colluvio-aeolian aprons in the Negev Highlands, Israel: Morphology and soil characteristics of a palaeoclimatic indicator. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 56 1986 89 101 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruins, H.J. The Origin, Nature and Stratigraphy of Paleosols in the Loessial Deposits of the NW-Negev (Netivot, Israel). M.S. thesis 1976 Department of Geology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Google Scholar
Bruins, H.J. Yaalon, D.H. Stratigraphy of the Netivot section in the desert loess of the Negev (Israel). Acta Geologica Academiae Scientarum Hungaricae 22 1979 161 169 Google Scholar
Danin, A. Patterns of biogenic weathering as indicators of palaeoclimates in Israel. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 89B 1986 243 253 Google Scholar
Gat, J.R. Magaritz, M. Climatic variations in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea area. Naturwissenschaften 67 1980 80 87 Google Scholar
Goldberg, P. Bar-Yosef, O. Environmental and archeological evidence for climatic change in the Southern Levant Bintliff, J.L. Van Zeist, W. Palaeoclimates, Palaeoenvironments and Human Communities in the Eastern Mediterranean Region in Later Prehistory. British Archaeological Reports International Series 1982 399 414 (no. 133), Oxford Google Scholar
Goldberg, P. Rosen, A. Early Holocene palaeoenvironments of Israel Levy, T.E. Shiqmim I: Studies Concerning Chalcolithic Societies in the Northern Negev Desert, Israel (1982–1984). British Archaeological Reports International Series 1987 23 33 Oxford Google Scholar
Goodfriend, G.A. Holocene shifts in rainfall in the Negev desert, as inferred from isotopic, morphological, and faunal analysis of fossil land snails Abstracts and Reports from the Conference on Abrupt Climatic Change Biviers, 1985 1986 122 124 Google Scholar
Goodfriend, G.A. Radiocarbon age anomalies in shell carbonate of land snails from semi-arid areas. Radiocarbon 29 2 1987 159 167 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodfriend, G. A. Evaluation of amino acid racemization/epimerization dating using radiocarbon-dated fossil land snails. Geology, in press.Google Scholar
Goodfriend, G.A. Hood, D.G. Carbon isotope analysis of land snail shells: Implications for carbon sources and radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon 25 1983 810 830 Google Scholar
Goodfriend, G. A., and Mitterer, R. M. Late Quaternary land snails from the north coast of Jamaica: Local extinctions and climatic change. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, in press Google Scholar
Goodfriend, G.A. Stipp, J.J. Limestone and the problem of radiocarbon dating of land-snail shell carbonate. Geology 11 1983 575 577 Google Scholar
Issar, A. Karnieli, A. Bruins, H.J. Gilead, I. The Quaternary geology and hydrology of Sede Zin, Negev, Israel. Israel Journal of Earth Sciences 33 1984 34 42 Google Scholar
Jackson, S.T. Whitehead, D.R. Davis, O.K. Accelerator radiocarbon date indicates mid-Holocene age for hickory nut from Indiana late-gla-cial sediments. Quaternary Research 25 1986 257 258 Google Scholar
Magaritz, M. Environmental changes recorded in the upper Pleistocene along the desert boundary, southern Israel. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 53 1986 213 229 Google Scholar
Magaritz, M. Goodfriend, G.A. Movement of the desert boundary in the Levant from latest Pleistocene to early Holocene Berger, W.H. Labeyrie, L.D. Abrupt Climatic Change—Evidence and Implications 1987 Reidel Dordrecht 173 183 Google Scholar
Miller, G.H. Hare, P.E. Amino acid geochronology: Integrity of the carbonate matrix and potential of molluscan fossils Hare, P.E. Biogeochemistry of Amino Acids 1980 Wiley New York 415 443 Google Scholar
Mitterer, R.M. Ages and diagenetic temperatures of Pleistocene deposits of Florida based on isoleucine epimerization in Mercenaria . Earth and Planetary Science Letters 28 1975 275 282 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, A.M.T. A pre-Neolithic farmers' village on the Euphrates. Scientific American 241 2 1979 50 58 Google Scholar
Rosen, A. Environmental change and settlement at Tel Lachish, Israel. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 263 1986 55 60 Google Scholar
Schmidt-Nielsen, K. Taylor, C.P. Shkolnik, A. Desert snails: Problems of heat, water and food. Journal of Experimental Biology 55 1971 385 398 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sokal, R.R. Rohlf, F.J. Biometry 1969 Freeman San Francisco Google Scholar
Van Devender, T.R. Martin, P.S. Thompson, R.S. Cole, K.L. Jull, A.J.T. Long, A. Toolin, L.J. Donahue, D.J. Fossil packrat middens and the tandem accelerator mass spectrometer. Nature (London) 317 1985 610 613 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wehmiller, J.F. Amino acid studies of the Del Mar, California, midden site: Apparent rate constants, ground temperature models, and chronological implications. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 37 1977 184 196 Google Scholar
Yair, A. Environmental effects of loess penetration into the northern Negev desert. Journal of Arid Environments, in press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yair, A. Rutin, J. Some aspects of the regional variation in the amount of available sediment produced by isopods and porcupines, northern Negev, Israel. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 6 1981 221 234 Google Scholar
Zemel, Z. Lomas, J. Soil temperature regime in Israel as a basis for agricultural planning and activity. Agrometeorological Report 8/77 1977 Israel Meteorological Service Bet Dagan Google Scholar