Abstract
We measured D/L aspartic acid ratios and radiocarbon ages of a Mammoth molar fossil collected from Bykovsky Peninsula, eastern Siberia. Four parts of dentin, enamel, cement and root in the molar fossil were analyzed for gelatins and XAD-treated hydrolysates. The 14C ages of four parts are different, and the gelatins have 1000-2000 year older ages than the XAD-treated hydrolysates, expect for the root part. It is thought that the Molor fossil is dated about 37,000 BP. The D/L aspartic acid ratio of the molar fossil is low, and it suggests that amino acids in the Mammoth molar have not racemized since it was dead and buried. This result is well consistent with the fact that it was preserved in the permafrost.
