@article{fdi:010049556,
  title = {{P}reservation assessment of {M}iocene-{P}liocene tooth enamel from {T}ugen {H}ills ({K}enyan {R}ift {V}alley) through {FTIR}, chemical and stable-isotope analyses},
  author = {{R}oche, {D}. and {S}egalen, {L}. and {B}alan, {E}tienne and {D}elattre, {S}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{W}e investigated fossil tooth enamel of mammals and crocodiles from two {M}io-{P}liocene {E}ast-{A}frican formations ({L}ukeino and {M}abaget {F}ms) using infrared spectroscopy and chemical and stable-isotope analyses. {I}nfrared spectra indicate that the fossil enamel contains biological apatite (bioapatite), without significant secondary carbonate contaminations. {S}everal empirical infrared indexes were used to analyze the crystal-chemical characteristics of enamel. {F}ossil enamel has less organic matter, water and structural carbonate of apatite than modern enamel with which it was compared. {F}ossil apatite has a better crystallinity than bioapatite. {T}he calcium/phosphorus mass ratio and the fluorine content of fossil apatite show intermediate values between bioapatite and geological fluorapatite. {T}he samples also display significant crystal-chemical variations, depending on the vertebrate group (mammals vs. reptiles) and the taphonomic context ({L}ukeino {F}m vs. {M}abaget {F}m). {I}n spite of these changes, no relationship was observed between the chemical contents (carbonate and fluorine) and the stable-isotope ratios of carbonate (delta {C}-13 and delta {O}-18) in fossil enamel. {P}reservation of the palaeoenvironmental signals is strongly supported by the fact that the stable-isotope composition of the three investigated fossil mammalian taxa (deinotheres, equids and hippos) is consistent with their ecological features. {F}or instance, typical {C}-3- and {C}-4-plant isotope compositions are reflected in the deinotheres and equids, respectively, and amphibious hippos display lower delta {O}-18 values than terrestrial herbivores, as expected.},
  keywords = {{T}ooth enamel ; {B}ioapatite ; {D}iagenesis ; {FTIR} ; {C}hemical elements ; {S}table ; isotopes ; {M}io-{P}liocene ; {E}ast {A}frica},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {A}rchaeological {S}cience},
  volume = {37},
  numero = {7},
  pages = {1690--1699},
  ISSN = {0305-4403},
  year = {2010},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.jas.2010.01.029},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010049556},
}