PALEOENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS OF RARE EARTH ELEMENT ANALYSIS

In recent studies, Rare Earth Elements (REE) analysis on fossil bones has successfully been used to interpret reworking, time averaging, and fossil provenience. The REE patterns define a "signature" for each of the studied specimens. These signatures can be interpreted as "fingerprints" for stratigraphic units and reflect depositional or early diagenetic waters. The signatures are indicative of particular depositional environments and therefore can be used for paleoenvironmental interpretation. Ternary diagrams were used to compare signatures of bones and modern waters and to infer original environmental conditions