Electron spin resonance dating of teeth from Western Brazilian megafauna – preliminary results

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) was applied to determine ages of Haplomastodon teeth from Western Brazilian Megafauna. The Equivalent Doses (De) of (1.3 ± 0.2)kGy, (800 ± 100)Gy and (140 ± 20)Gy were found and the software ROSY ESR dating was employed to convert De in age, using isotope concentrations determined by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and other information, resulting in (500 ± 100)ka, (320 ± 50) and (90 ± 10)ka considering the Combination Uptake (CU) model for Uranium uptake, set as an Early Uptake (EU) for dentine and Linear Uptake (LU) for enamel. There are scarce reports about Pleistocene Megafauna in this area. This paper presents the first dating of megafauna tooth and this study could contribute to improve the knowledge about the paleoclimate and paleoenvironment of this region and prompt more investigations in this area.