Der Schwefelgehalt in Knochen und Zähnen rezenter und fossiler Organismen

The sulfur content of teeth and bones has been determined by a microprobe. Recent samples only contain about 0.05 weight percent of sulfur, independent of a marine or terrestrial origin of the organisms. The total sulfur of these samples is partly related to the organic matter and partly to SO₄^2–-ions replacing PO₄^3–-ions in the crystalline matter of the skeletons. In the living organisms this matter consists of octacalciumphosphatecarbonate (OCPC) (Hayek, 1967), which is transformed only to a small degree into apatite. During diagenesis the process of apatite-crystallisation proceeds, and more sulfate enters the lattice of the phosphate, which leads to an enrichment of sulfur up to about one percent by weight. There is no relation observed between the concentration of sulfur and the age of the organisms. Influences of the environment of diagenesis on different minor compounds entering the phosphates of bones and teeth in different state of composition have been evaluated. As a result the possibility of dating fossils by minor element analysis (F, Mn, SO₄^2–etc.) must be questioned. Differences between freshwater and marine invironment of deposition cannot be observed in the total sulfur of diagenetic phosphates.

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Ich danke Herrn Prof. Dr. K. H. Wedepohl für sein Interesse an der Durchführung dieser Arbeit und für seine aktive Unterstützung. Für die Überlassung von Proben danke ich ganz besonders Herrn Prof. Dr. O. H. Walliser, Herrn Dr. Frank Westphal, Mrs. L. S. StevenSon, Herrn Prof. Dr. H. W. Flügel, Herrn Prof. Dr. W. G. Kühne und Herrn Prof. Dr. K. Krömmelbein; für klärende Diskussionen Herrn Prof. Dr. O. H. Walliser, Herrn Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. C. W. Correns, Herrn Prof. Dr. K. H. Wedepohl, Herrn Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Kämmerer und Herrn Priv.-Doz. Dr. M. LieflÄnder; für die Übermittlung von Literatur und Hinweisen Herrn Priv.-Doz. Dr. H. Newesely; und für ihre Unterstützung und Diskussionsbereitschaft allen Mitarbeitern des Geochemischen Institutes der Universität Göttingen.