Stable carbon and oxygen isotopes of molluscan shells

Implications to paleontological studies on biological carbonates

Abstract

Molluscan shells record environmental and ecological information in regions from low to high latitudes that has implications for understanding the physiological mechanisms and evolution of biomineralization. To enhance the application of information derived from modern and fossil molluscan shells in paleontological research, I undertook a comprehensive review of recent studies of the stable carbon and oxygen isotopes of molluscs and other biogenic and synthetic carbonates and reinterpreted the isotopic compositions of molluscan shells by focusing on the mechanism of their mineralization. Standardization and correction of analytical isotopic values used in paleontological research, together with recent advances in micro-volume isotopic analysis and clumped isotope thermometry, will enhance their application in studies of modern and fossil biogenic carbonates.