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Corals (Sclerochronology)

  • Reference work entry
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Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

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Synonyms

Coral chronometer; Related to dendrochronology

Definition

Sclerochronology: The study of the incremental layers contained in the hard parts or skeletons of organisms that form at regular intervals during the organism’s life span. Sclerochronology is derived from the Greek words sklero meaning “hard,” khronos meaning “time,” and logos meaning “science of.” Sclerochronology is related to dendrochronology or the study of annual growth rings in trees.

Coral: Corals are in the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria and include scleractinian or “stony corals,” which form colonies of many individual polyps with an external skeleton or exoskeleton of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and non-stony corals or soft corals. Some stony corals contain incremental layers in their exoskeleton. Coral-based sclerochronological research is focused on stony corals yet recent research reveals that some soft coral species contain incremental layers (see Roark et al., 2006).

Introduction

The general term of...

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  1. Department of Geography and Anthropology, Lousiana State University, 227 Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex, Baton Rouge, 70803, LA, USA

    Kristine L. DeLong

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    W. Jack Rink  & Jeroen W. Thompson  & 

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DeLong, K.L. (2015). Corals (Sclerochronology). In: Jack Rink, W., Thompson, J.W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6304-3_154

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