Quaternary aminostratigraphies for the eastern North European Plain

Area of Science:

• Quaternary geology
• Geochronology
• Archaeology

Background:

• The eastern North European Plain is vital for Quaternary climate and archaeological studies, but chronological dating of deposits is difficult.
• Amino acid geochronology (AAG), specifically intra-crystalline protein decomposition (IcPD) in *Bithynia* snail opercula, offers relative dating for Quaternary deposits.
• Previous IcPD studies focused on regions with assumed uniform diagenetic temperatures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the first aminostratigraphies for the eastern North European Plain, covering deposits up to ~1 Ma.
• To assess existing age attributions of Middle and Late Pleistocene interglacials using these new aminostratigraphies.
• To investigate variations in IcPD extent due to diverse temperature histories across the region.

Main Methods:

• Development of aminostratigraphies using *Bithynia* opercula from the eastern North European Plain.
• Correlation of opercula data with regional pollen assemblages (Holsteinian, Eemian, Holocene).
• Evaluation of IcPD temporal resolution within interglacial periods.

Main Results:

• Presentation of four novel aminostratigraphies for the eastern North European Plain.
• Assessment of IcPD variations linked to regional temperature differences.
• Determination of IcPD's temporal resolution capabilities for interglacial dating.

Conclusions:

• The new aminostratigraphies serve as essential reference datasets for relative age estimation.
• This research enhances chronological control for the late Middle Pleistocene to Holocene in the study area.
• The findings improve understanding of Quaternary climate change and archaeological site dating in the eastern North European Plain.