Investigating the environmental interpretation of oxygen and carbon isotope data from whole and fragmented bivalve shells

Lacey, J.H.; Leng, M.J.; Peckover, E.N.; Dean, J.R.; Wilke, T.; Francke, A.; Zhang, X.; Masi, A.; Wagner, B.

Abstract

Sclerochronological data from whole bivalve shells have been used extensively to derive palaeoenvironmental information. However, little is known about the relevance of shell fragments more commonly preserved in the sediment record. Here, we investigate the oxygen and carbon isotope composition of Dreissena carinata fragments from a core recovered from Lake Dojran (FYRO Macedonia/Greece) to identify their relevance and efficacy as a proxy in palaeoenvironmental studies. We use a
modern Dreissena shell to calibrate the relationship between the bivalve and its contemporary environment, which suggests their isotope composition is primarily a function of temperature and water balance. The range of fragment isotope data from the core overlaps with that of unbroken fossil shells, suggesting the fragments broadly record lakewater conditions across the time of deposition. A comparison of the isotope composition of shell fragments and endogenic carbonate shows an offset between the two sets of data, which is likely due to temperature differences between surface and bottom waters, the timing of carbonate precipitation, and productivity-controlled stratification of the dissolved inorganic carbon pool. Shell fragment isotope data seem to reflect the signal of environmental change recorded in other proxy data from the same core and may potentially be used (like endogenic carbonate) to provide information on past changes in lake level.

Citation

Lacey, J., Leng, M., Peckover, E., Dean, J., Wilke, T., Francke, A., Zhang, X., Masi, A., & Wagner, B. (2018). Investigating the environmental interpretation of oxygen and carbon isotope data from whole and fragmented bivalve shells. Quaternary science reviews, 194, 55-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.06.025

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 27, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Jul 6, 2018
• Publication Date: Aug 15, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jul 10, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 7, 2019
• Journal: Quaternary Science Reviews
• Print ISSN: 0277-3791
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 194
• Pages: 55-61
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.06.025
• Keywords: Archaeology; Archaeology; Global and Planetary Change; Geology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/920128
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379117308235?via%3Dihub
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Investigating the environmental interpretation of oxygen and carbon isotope data from whole and fragmented bivalve shells; Journal Title: Quaternary Science Reviews; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.06.025; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
• Contract Date: Jul 11, 2018