Isotopic analysis of coexisting Late Jurassic fish otoliths and molluscs: Implications for upper-ocean water temperature estimates

Ophosphate of fi sh teeth are ABSTRACT The δ 18 O compositions of well-preserved Jurassic fi sh otoliths from Wootton Bassett, UK, provide upper-ocean paleotemperatures that are comparable with those derived from the iso- topic analysis of fitooth phosphates, providing independent scrutiny of such paleotempera- tures. δ 18 O otolith temperatures in excess of 30 °C also rival temperatures associated with the middle Cretaceous thermal maximum. The negative carbon isotopes of the otoliths may point to a freshwater infl uence and potentially migratory nature of the fi sh. However, given the large departures from equilibrium fractionation toward more negative carbon values reported from modern marine fi sh, we consider our temperature interpretations to be robust and representa- tive of the marine depositional environment. Depleted δ 13 C values, we believe, suggest that the otoliths examined in this study belong to fiwith high metabolic rates.

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