© Théo Tacail Human canine milk tooth from which the enamel was taken to measure the proportions of calcium isotopes. The enamel is around 500 μm thick.
Two studies on calcium isotopes
1 in teeth have provided new insights into both the extinction of the dinosaurs and weaning age in humans. The findings of these studies, conducted by CNRS researchers at Lyon ENS and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, were published, respectively, on 25 and 30 May 2017 in Current Biology and PNAS . They open new avenues for research in anthropology and paleontology. A new method for measuring proportions of stable calcium isotopes has just been developed by a team of geochemists, in particular involving the Laboratoire de géologie de Lyon: Terre, planètes et environnement (ENS Lyon/CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1) . This high precision method allows new scientific advances in all kinds of domains, such as estimating weaning age in humans from milk teeth or finding a new explanation for the extinction of marine dinosaurs. Calcium is the main constituent of our bones and teeth. There are six stable isotopes of this element on Earth.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
Your Benefits
- Access to all content
- Receive newsmails for news and jobs
- Post ads
