Pecten as a new substrate for IcPD dating: the Quaternary raised beaches in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece

Intra-crystalline protein diagenesis (IcPD), a recent development of amino acid racemization dating (AAR), is now established as a reliable geochronological tool for the Quaternary. However, extending the method to new biominerals requires extensive testing in order to provide evidence for the closed-system behaviour of the intracrystalline proteins and to assess the temporal span that can be covered.

Here we present results from high-temperature experiments on the IcPD of the bivalve Pecten, demonstrating that a fraction of proteins can be isolated from a bleach-resistant mineral matrix, which effectively operates as a closed system under conditions of accelerated diagenesis in
the laboratory. Analyses of Pecten from the well-dated terrace system of the Gulf of Corinth (Greece) provided a pilot test for the integrity of the intra-crystalline fraction in subfossil shells. The small sample sizes in this preliminary study preclude a full assessment of the aminostratigraphic power of Pecten IcPD, but a concordance is observedbetween the extent of IcPD and sites dating from between MIS 5 and MIS 11.

We conclude that Pecten is a potentially good substrate for IcPD dating in the Mediterranean, and that the temporal limit of the technique in this area lies beyond MIS 11.