Roca dels Bous (archaeological site) interesting archaeological site indeed. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the samples used for the 14C AMS dating were obtained from deep strata at the site. The oldest Neanderthal sites known in the nearby areas date back to around 40,000 BP. The first settlements attributed to “anatomically modern” Homo sapiens sapiens in Northern Spain are dated around 39,000-38,000 BP. All this would suggest that Neanderthals could have persisted in this particular area longer than previously believed, preceding the arrival of the first Homo sapiens to the area. Research work began in 1988. This wide period of time has contributed
Isotope geochemistry this reason, enrichments are typically reported in "per mil" (‰, parts per thousand). These enrichments (δ) represent the ratio of heavy isotope to light isotope in the sample over the ratio of a standard. That is, Hydrogen isotope biogeochemistry Carbon has two stable isotopes, C and C, and one radioactive isotope, C. The stable carbon isotope ratio, "δ"C, is measured against Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB). The stable carbon isotopes are fractionated primarily by photosynthesis (Faure, 2004). The C/C ratio is also an indicator of paleoclimate: a change in the ratio in the remains of plants indicates a change in