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The age of ambergris
Steven John Rowland1, Paul Andrew Sutton1, Timothy D J Knowles2
1Petroleum and Environmental Geochemistry Group, Biogeochemistry Research Centre, University of Plymouth , Drake Circus , Plymouth , PL4 8AA , UK.
Natural Product Research
|November 25, 2018
Summary
Ambergris, a sperm whale coprolith found as beach jetsam, can remain at sea for up to a thousand years. This study analyzed verified ambergris samples, revealing their surprisingly long environmental persistence.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Geochemistry
- Radiometric Dating
Background:
- Ambergris, a rare coprolith from sperm whales, washes ashore globally as jetsam.
- Previous estimates of ambergris time at sea were anecdotal, suggesting decades.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the environmental residence time of ambergris jetsam.
- To establish a verified inventory of ambergris samples for scientific analysis.
Main Methods:
- Collection and verification of over forty ambergris jetsam samples from global beaches.
- Characterization using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
- Radiocarbon dating of selected samples using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS).
Main Results:
- An unprecedented inventory of verified ambergris jetsam was compiled.
- GC-MS analysis provided sample characterization.
- Radiocarbon dating revealed surprisingly ancient ages for some samples, up to approximately one thousand years.
Conclusions:
- Ambergris can persist in the marine environment for exceptionally long periods, up to a millennium.
- This finding significantly extends previous estimations of ambergris longevity at sea.
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