Oxygen and carbon isotopic records of mollusks in the Kuokang Shell Bed, Taiwan: implications and applications
Abstract Oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions have been determined in fossil molluscan shells from the Kuokang Shell Bed and in modern shells from coastal areas around Taiwan. Fossil mollusks have been well preserved, based on X-ray diffraction, stable isotopic data and their occurrence in the field. The stable isotopic data of fossil shells indicate that they lived in an open sea environment. Heavier oxygen and lighter carbon isotopic ratios of these fossils relative to modern counterparts around Taiwan indicate that these fossil mollusks grew in a glacial period, as supported by the 14C dating results. The calculated mean uplift rate for the Kuokang Shell Bed shows a lower rate compared to the eastern and southern parts of Taiwan and reflects a more stable, away-from-collision nature for western Taiwan.