High-Resolution Stable Isotope Data from an Eocene Bivalve Shell

Sixty-three oxygen and carbon stable isotope measurements were taken from a single Cucullaea bivalve shell (WP33) collected on Seymour Island from the Eocene La Meseta Formation. The data, generated by Rodney M. Feldmann and analyzed in the University of Michigan laboratory of K. C Lohmann, appear to span three years of shell growth. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation and used to evaluate middle Eocene climate model experiments.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing seasonal temperature variations from the oxygen isotope values across the 63 sampling points.
• Analyzing carbon isotope cycles to infer primary productivity changes during the three-year growth period captured in the shell.
• Calibrating general circulation model (GCM) simulations for the middle Eocene using the paired oxygen and carbon isotope time series.
• Studying biomineralization and growth patterns in ancient bivalves through the high-resolution (150-micron spacing) isotopic profile.

Strengths

• 63 high-resolution isotopic measurements from a single specimen.
• Data spans approximately three years of biological growth, providing a multi-annual record.
• Samples were collected using a digitized microsampler for precise spatial control.

Limitations

• Data is from a single shell (WP33), limiting statistical power and geographic representativeness.
• The exact temporal range (specific years within the Eocene) is not provided.
• Sample size is limited to 63 rows of isotopic measurements.

Provenance

Source

University of Michigan laboratory of K. C Lohmann, sample collected by Rodney M. Feldmann.

Collection Method

Isotopic data generated using a digitized microsampler on carbonate samples taken at ~150 micron spacing in the shell's outer prismatic layer.

Time Range

Eocene epoch (La Meseta Formation), data represents ~3 years of shell growth.

Geography

Seymour Island, Antarctica.