Bomb tests used to date elephant ivory

A new study shows how the effect of nuclear bomb tests carried out in the cold war can be used to date animal tissue samples and provide a useful new wildlife forensics tool.

Nuclear weapons testing carried out in the 1950s and '60s almost doubled global levels of atmospheric radioactive Carbon 14. The abrupt rise and steady fall of atmospheric ¹⁴C has been well documented for the last 60 years and the data is known as the ‘bomb curve’.  As ¹⁴C is naturally assimilated into plant biomass and travels up the food chain, organic material formed during or after this period can be radiocarbon-dated using a technique known as ‘bomb-curve ¹⁴C dating’.  This new study shows how the method can be used to accurately date elephant, hippopotamus and plant tissue back to the mid-1950’s, as well as measuring growth rates. The technique not only holds important applications to paleoecological studies, but to wildlife forensics.  Knowing the age confiscated animal tissues (such as ivory) is important in determining whether its trade is legal nor not, according to CITES or other regulations.

Uno KT, Quade J, Fisher DC, Wittemyer G, Douglas-Hamilton I, Andanje S, Omondi P, Litoroh M, Cerling TE, 2013. Bomb-curve radiocarbon measurement of recent biologic tissues and applications to wildlife forensics and stable isotope (paleo)ecology. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi:10.1073/pnas.1302226110

Available for download:

Uno et al., 2013. PNAS. Bomb Curve Radiocarbon