Late Holocene radiocarbon and aspartic acid racemization dating of deep-sea octocorals

Primnoa resedaeformis is a deep-sea gorgonian coral with a two-part skeleton of calcite and gorgonin (a fibrillar protein), potentially containing long-term records of valuable paleo-environmental information. For various reasons, both radiocarbon and U/Th dating of these corals is problematic over the last few centuries. This paper explores aspartic acid racemization dating of the gorgonin fraction in modern and fossil specimens collected from the NW Atlantic Ocean. Radiocarbon dating of the fossil specimen indicates a lifespan of 700±100 years, the longest yet documented for any octocoral. Gorgonin amino acid compositions were identical in the fossil and modern specimens, indicating resistance to organic diagenesis. Similar to bone collagen, the fibrillar protein of gorgonin may impose conformational constraints on the racemization of Asp at low temperatures. The rate of racemization of aspartic acid (d/l-Asp) was similar to previously published results from an 1800 year old anemone (Gerardia). The age equation was: age (years BP 2000 AD)=[(d/l−0.020 (±.002))/.0011 (±.0001)]2(r2=0.97, p<.001). The error in an age estimate calculated by d/l-Asp was marginally better than that for 14C dating over the most recent 50–200 years, although the dating error may be improved by inclusion of more samples over a broader time range. These results suggest that d/l-Asp dating may be useful in augmenting 14C dating in cases where 14C calibrations yield two or more intercept ages, or in screening samples for further 14C or U/Th dating.