- journal_title：Geology
- Contributor：Anne Lorrain ; David P. Gillikin ; Yves-Marie Paulet ; Laurent Chauvaud ; Alain Le Mercier ; Jacques Navez ; Luc André
- Publisher：Geological Society of America
- Date：2005-
- Format：text/html
- Language：en
- Identifier：10.1130/G22048.1
- journal_abbrev：Geology
- issn：0091-7613
- volume：33
- issue：12
- firstpage：965
Although Sr/Ca ratios in abiogenic calcite are strongly controlled by precipitation rates, such a kinetic effect has never been demonstrated in calcitic bivalve shells. Therefore, we report Sr/Ca ratios together with daily growth rates in the calcitic shells of four individuals of the bivalve Pecten maximus (age class I). Ratios of Sr/Ca were found to be variable among individuals that grew at the same location, illustrating that vital effects dominate over environmental controls. Although daily growth rate was correlated with shell Sr/Ca ratios, it explained only half of the Sr/Ca variations. However, daily shell surface area increment, an estimation of the total quantity of carbonate precipitated for a given time, explained 74% of the Sr/Ca variability in the shells of P. maximus. This proves, for the first time in a calcitic bivalve, that shell Sr/Ca partitioning is mainly controlled by kinetic effects. The Sr/Ca ratio should therefore be tested as a potential proxy of calcification rate in modern or fossil calcitic biocarbonates.