Chen Shuixia, Wang Jiangke, Zhong Yueming, et al. Diagenesis of Amino Acids in Fossil Bones and Teeth[J]. Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis SunYatseni, 1996,35(4):102-107.
Chen Shuixia, Wang Jiangke, Zhong Yueming, et al. Diagenesis of Amino Acids in Fossil Bones and Teeth[J]. Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis SunYatseni, 1996,35(4):102-107.DOI:
The content and racemization degrees of amino acids in fossil bones and teeth buried in some Quaternary deposits in Guangdong province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
and in Nanyue King′s mausoleum
were analyzed. The results show that proteins in fossils had been gradually degraded into free amino acids and shorter peptides with the increase of burial time
and the amino acid compositions also had been modified. Amino acids in fossils had continuously racemized since buried. Free
terminal and interion amino acids have different racemization rates
which explained why amino acid in various dialysis fractions had different racemization degrees. It can also be expected that amino acids racemization will deviate linear kinetics with the further hydrolysis of residual proteins in fossils.