ANALYSIS OF DINOSAUR SAMPLES BY NUCLEAR MICROSCOPY

Authors
WU XK ORLIC I TANG SM WANG YM WANG XH ZHU JQ
Citation
Xk. Wu et al., ANALYSIS OF DINOSAUR SAMPLES BY NUCLEAR MICROSCOPY, Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms, 130(1-4), 1997, pp. 308-314
Citations number
11
Categorie Soggetti
Physics, Nuclear","Nuclear Sciences & Tecnology","Instument & Instrumentation
Journal title
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms → ACNP
ISSN journal
0168583X
Volume
130
Issue
1-4
Year of publication
1997
Pages
308 - 314
Database
ISI
SICI code
0168-583X(1997)130:1-4<308:AODSBN>2.0.ZU;2-P
Abstract
Several dinosaur bone and eggshell fossil samples unearthed at. differ ent sites in China were analyzed by means of nuclear microscopy. Conce ntrations and distributions of elements such as Na, Mg, Al, P, S, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Sr, Y, Ce, Pb and U, etc. were obtained fo r each sample. The results of quantitative PIXE and RBS analyses show unusually high concentrations of U and Ce in several samples obtained from a period near the K-T boundary (between Cretaceous and Tertiary p eriods, 65 million years ago), suggesting that some form of environmen tal pollution could be the cause of dinosaur extinction. (C) 1997 Else vier Science B.V.