Radiocarbon Variability in <i>Crassostrea virginica</i> Shells from the Chesapeake Bay, USA

Rick, Torben C.; Henkes, Gregory A.

doi:10.2458/56.16509

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Previously published 14 C ages, based on several species of mollusks and covering a range of environments, showed significant age differences between contemporaneous specimens (e.g. Forman and Polyak 1997;Hogg et al 1998;Mangeroud et al 2006;England et al 2013;Petchey et al 2013;Hadden and Cherkinsky 2017a;Rick et al 2012;Rick and Henkes 2014). In these studies, older than expected 14 C ages were consistently measured in deposit feeding mollusks, as these species were argued to be able to incorporate old carbon in their shells.…”

Section: Does Diet Affect Radiocarbon Ages?mentioning

confidence: 90%

Marine Bivalve Feeding Strategies and Radiocarbon Ages in Northeast Atlantic Coastal Waters

Cappelli

Austin

2019

Radiocarbon

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Marine mollusk shells have been extensively used to provide radiocarbon (14C)-based chronologies in paleoenvironmental and archaeological studies, however uncertainties in age measurements are introduced because secondary factors such as vital effects and diet may influence 14C incorporation into these shells. Deep burrowing and deposit feeding mollusks, in particular, may incorporate “old” carbon resulting in apparently older ages than their contemporary environment. In this study, we present paired 14C and stable isotope (δ13C and δ18O) measurements for nine species of known-age bivalves having different feeding strategies and collected in six localities around the NE Atlantic. We exclude potential “old” carbon contamination in these known-age mollusk shells, acquire a better understanding of local ecology and provide an improved context for the environmental interpretation of 14C ages. Our results indicate that, in the NE Atlantic, marine mollusk-derived 14C ages provide a reliable basis for environmental and archaeological investigation, independently of vital effects and differences in microhabitats, feeding strategies and sample location—all of which are apparent from stable isotopes.

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Section: Does Diet Affect Radiocarbon Ages?mentioning

confidence: 90%

Marine Bivalve Feeding Strategies and Radiocarbon Ages in Northeast Atlantic Coastal Waters

Cappelli

Austin

2019

Radiocarbon

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“…Sampling small fragments of oysters or other shellfish for AMS analysis may produce dates that vary by 100 years or more if samples are obtained on individual growth bands that have variable Δ R (Culleton et al., ). Although recent studies suggest that the Chesapeake and other Atlantic estuaries have more limited intrashell variability than specimens from the Pacific Coast with strong marine upwelling (Rick & Henkes, ; Thomas et al., ), we obtained oversized (∼7–10 mm) oyster fragments near the ligament area that crossed over multiple growth bands to minimize these problems. Fifty‐six shell and charcoal samples were sent to the National Ocean Sciences AMS (NOSAMS) Facility at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for analysis.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shell Middens, Cultural Chronologies, and Coastal Settlement on the Rhode River Sub‐Estuary of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA

et al. 2014

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North America's Atlantic Coast has been a focus of human settlement and subsistence for millennia, but sea‐level rise, sedimentation, and other processes pose significant challenges for archaeological research. Radiocarbon dating of 31 shell middens near the Rhode River Estuary, Maryland provides an opportunity to evaluate human land use, settlement, and cultural chronologies on the Chesapeake Bay. Sixty calibrated radiocarbon dates on eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) shell and charcoal demonstrate that Native Americans, colonial, and historic peoples harvested oysters and other shellfish from at least 3200 years ago through the 19th century. The number of dated sites increases during the Late Woodland period after about 1000 cal yr B.P., a factor probably related to greater site visibility and preservation, as well as increased human exploitation of the watershed. Accumulation rates for five of the shell middens provide preliminary indications that some of the sites accumulated rapidly suggesting, along with other evidence, that many of the region's shell middens were logistical or perhaps seasonal camps. Our study demonstrates the importance of regional watershed surveys and radiocarbon dating programs to help build and refine cultural chronologies in coastal regions threatened by sea‐level rise and other processes.

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“…Thomas 2008;Rick et al 2012;Thomas et al 2013;Rick and Henkes 2014), are rare. The most common bivalve taxa in these contexts are bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) and sunray venus (Macrocallista nimbosa).…”

Section: S Hadden and A Cherkinskymentioning

confidence: 95%

¹⁴C Variations in Pre-Bomb Nearshore Habitats of the Florida Panhandle, USA

Hadden¹,

Cherkinsky²

2015

Radiocarbon

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This article presents radiocarbon data for known-age, pre-bomb marine gastropods, Busycon sinistrum and Strombus alatus, collected between AD 1924 and 1946 from nearshore environments of the Florida Panhandle, on the northern Gulf of Mexico. Δ 14 C was measured in whole crushed juvenile specimens (n = 7) and terminal edges of adult specimens (n = 6). A subsample of adult specimens (n = 3) was subjected to additional, intrashell sampling to observe short-term variability in 14 C conditions. Δ 14 C values were consistent within and among B. sinistrum specimens, and we propose a reservoir age offset (ΔR) of -9 ± 25 14 C yr for B. sinistrum from the northwest coast of Florida. S. alatus shells exhibited significant variability from one individual to another, and also within individual specimens. ΔR values for S. alatus range from -3 ± 30 to 659 ± 30 14 C yr. These differences may result from a combination of factors, including subregional variability in inputs of 14 Cdepleted waters and life-history factors including mobility, mode of feeding, and ontogenetic niche shifts.

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Radiocarbon Variability in Crassostrea virginica Shells from the Chesapeake Bay, USA

Cited by 16 publications

References 15 publications

Marine Bivalve Feeding Strategies and Radiocarbon Ages in Northeast Atlantic Coastal Waters

Marine Bivalve Feeding Strategies and Radiocarbon Ages in Northeast Atlantic Coastal Waters

Shell Middens, Cultural Chronologies, and Coastal Settlement on the Rhode River Sub‐Estuary of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA

¹⁴C Variations in Pre-Bomb Nearshore Habitats of the Florida Panhandle, USA

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Radiocarbon Variability in Crassostrea virginica Shells from the Chesapeake Bay, USA

Cited by 16 publications

References 15 publications

Marine Bivalve Feeding Strategies and Radiocarbon Ages in Northeast Atlantic Coastal Waters

Marine Bivalve Feeding Strategies and Radiocarbon Ages in Northeast Atlantic Coastal Waters

Shell Middens, Cultural Chronologies, and Coastal Settlement on the Rhode River Sub‐Estuary of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA

14C Variations in Pre-Bomb Nearshore Habitats of the Florida Panhandle, USA

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¹⁴C Variations in Pre-Bomb Nearshore Habitats of the Florida Panhandle, USA