Publications

Amino acid geochronology of tooth enamel enables direct dating of mammal fossils over Quaternary timescales, beyond radiocarbon limits. This initial study tests the applicability of a modular microfluidic system for chiral amino acid analysis using the intra-crystalline protein decomposition (IcPD) approach. The method reduces sample requirements and processing time while maintaining agreement with standard techniques. It demonstrates the potential for less destructive analysis and the feasibility of in-country sample preparation and IcPD dating in non-specialist laboratories. 

This study explores one of the few Middle Pleistocene fossil sites in southern Africa that preserves both animal remains and stone tools. At Pniel 6 on the Vaal River, researchers analysed decades of excavations to understand the environment and human activity during the Florisian Land Mammal Age (773–12 ka). Intra-crystalline protein decomposition (IcPD) analysis of tooth enamel shows that the remains come from multiple time layers rather than a single event, and isotpe analysis shows they point to a landscape of rich grasslands with abundant water sources. While most bones reflect natural deaths, some subtle marks hint at human involvement. Combined with the presence of Fauresmith stone tools, the evidence suggests that Pniel 6 represents several distinct episodes of human activity during the Middle Pleistocene, with a small amount of younger material mixed in near the surface.

This study explores how the predictable breakdown of proteins and amino acids in ancient biominerals can help estimate ages across the Quaternary period. Focusing on tooth enamel the researchers developed a new preparation technique using biphasic separation to accurately isolate amino acids from multiple enamel samples.  The work provides insight into long-term protein degradation processes and improves methods for estimating fossil ages. The results indicate that amino acid racemisation (AAR) in enamel occurs at a slower rate than in other biominerals, suggesting enamel could be used as a reliable relative dating tool over timescales greater than 2.8 million years.