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Most amino acids can have two different configurations, "D" or "L". Living organisms generally have amino acids in the "L" configuration, but when the organism dies, the ratio of D/L moves slowly toward equilibrium, a process called racemization. Measuring the ratio of D/L in a geologic sample containing preserved amino acids can therefore allow calculations of the age of the sample. |
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http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/aar.html Downloaded Thursday, 01-Aug-2013 12:09:56 EDT Last Updated Wednesday, 26-Sep-2012 13:02:09 EDT by paleo@noaa.gov Please see the Paleoclimatology Contact Page or the NCDC Contact Page if you have questions or comments. |