Murányi János szerk.: A Csíki Székely Múzeum Évkönyve 2006. Humán-és Természettudományok (Csíkszereda, 2007)

ÁLLATTAN - ALBERT CSILLA - SALAMON SZIDÓNIA - DARVAS LÓRÁNT - KOVÁCS JÁNOS -SALAMON ROZÁLIA - ALBERT BEÁTA - CSAPÓNÉ KISS ZSUZSANNA - CSAPÓ JÁNOS: Egy magyarországi és egy erdélyi gyapjas mamut korának meghatározása az aminosavak racemizációja alapján

A CSÍKI SZÉKELY MÚZEUM ÉVKÖNYVE 2006 359-372 ALBERT CSILLA - SALAMON SZIDÓNIA - DARVAS LÓRÁNT - KOVÁCS JÁNOS - SALAMON ROZÁLIA - ALBERT BEÁTA - CSAPÓNÉ KISS ZSUZSANNA - CSAPÓ JÁNOS EGY MAGYARORSZÁGI ÉS EGY ERDÉLYI GYAPJAS MAMUT KORÁNAK MEGHATÁROZÁSA AZ AMINOSAVAK RACEMIZÁCIÓJA ALAPJÁN Abstract: [Age determination of two mammoths from Hungarian and Transylvanian regions based on amino acid racemization in tusk and bone] After developing protein hydrolysis method with low racemization, a method has been developed to determine the age of fossil bone samples based on amino acid racemization (AAR). Approximately one hundred fossil bone samples of known age from Hungary were collected and analysed for D- and L-amino acids. As the racemization of amino acids is affected by temperature, pH, metal content of the soil, and time passed since death, these factors were eliminated by comparing the estimated age to age determined by the radiocarbon method. Determining the D- and L-amino acid contents in samples of known age, determining the half life of racemization and plotting the D/L ratio as a function of time, calibration curves were obtained. These curves can be used for the age estimation of samples after determining their D- and L-amino acid content. The D/L ratio for 2 to 3 amino acids was determined for each sample and the mean value of estimated ages based on calibration curves was considered to estimate age of the fossil samples. After developing the age determination method, we have determined the age of woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) remains found near Pécs in Hungary, and near Miercurea Ciuc (rom.) / Csíkszereda (hung.) in Transylvania by a method based on amino acid racemization (AAR). The mammoth skeletal remnants were found in fine-grained yellow, clayey loess of late glacial aeolian origin. Calibration curves - D- and L-amino acid ratios of bones of known age determined by radiocarbon method as a function of age - earlier used for age determination of human bones, was employed in case of the mammoth tusk (Csíkszereda), and mammoth tusk as well as mammoth cranial-bone (Pécs). As the racemization of the amino acids is considerably affected by the pH and heavy metal concentration of the environment, therefore we examined the composition and micro element concentration of the soil. It was established that the pH of the loess (7.14 Csíkszereda; 7.77 Pécs) did not affect substantially the racemization of the amino acids, therefore the AAR method is suitable for determination of age of these samples. D-allo-Ile contents of the samples were measured by INGOS AAA 400 amino acid analyzer, using postcolumn derivatization with ninhydrin, while D- and L-Asp, -Glu and -Ala contents were measured by MERCK Hitachi LaChrom high performance liquid Chromatograph using precolumn derivatization with OPA/TATG. Crude protein contents of mammoth tusk from Csíkszereda were measured to be 11.7%, whereas those of mammoth tusk from Pécs were measured to be only 1.13%, and those of cranial-bone from Pécs to be 8.17%. From these results the conclusion can be drawn that mammoth tusk from Csíkszereda has been preserved better. In the course of our examinations it was established that the sample practically did not contain D-allo-Ile, thus this amino acid cannot be used for the age estimation. In the D-amino acids it was established that for Glu and Ala the D/L ratios were