A simple radiocarbon dating method for determining the age and growth rate of deep-sea sponges

• Published in: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
• Main Authors: Fallon, Stewart, Strzepek (previously James), Kelly, Norman, Rebecca, Kelly, Michelle, Ellwood, Michael
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Elsevier
• Subjects: Keywords: Acid digestion; Antarctica; Antartica; Hexactinellida; Linear extensions; matrix; Pre-Treatment; Proteinaceous materials; Radiocarbon dating; Ross Sea; Sea sponge; Calcination; Reservoirs (water) Antartica; Dating sponge spicules; Hexactinellid; Antarc*; antartic*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/39263; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2009.10.143; https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/39263/9/C1-09-A_simple_radiocarbon_dating_method_for_determining_-_dated_copy.pdf.jpg; https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/39263/11/C1-09-A_simple_radiocarbon_dating_method_for_determining_Authors_pers_copy.pdf.jpg; https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/39263/13/A_Simple_Radiocarbon_Fallon_Kelly_Norman_etal_2009.pdf.jpg; https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/39263/15/01_Fallon_A_simple_radiocarbon_dating_2009.pdf.jpg; https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/39263/17/02_Fallon_A_simple_radiocarbon_dating_2009.pdf.jpg; https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/39263/19/03_Fallon_A_simple_radiocarbon_dating_2009.pdf.jpg

The ability to reliably age siliceous sponges is explored using radiocarbon dating of several hexactinellid sponge specimens including Rossella racovitzae racovitzae Topsent, 1901 (C. Hexactinellida: O. Lyssacinosida: F. Rossellidae), collected from the Ross Sea, Antarctica. The optimal pretreatment was found to consist of both sequential acid digestion and pre-roasting at temperatures >400 °C. Subsequent combustion at 900 °C liberated the proteinaceous material within the spicule matrix and once the reservoir age of the surrounding water was accounted for, a linear extension rate was calculated to be around 2.9 mm yr-1, aging the sponge at ∼440 years old.