  Star clusters have long been used to illuminate both stellar evolution and
Galactic evolution. They also hold clues to the chemical and nucleosynthetic
processes throughout the history of the Galaxy. We have taken high
signal-to-noise, high-resolution spectra of 11 solar-type stars in the Praesepe
open cluster to determine the chemical abundances of 16 elements: Li, C, O, Na,
Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Y, and Ba. We have determined Fe from Fe
I and Fe II lines and find [Fe/H] = +0.12 $\pm$0.04. We find that Li decreases
with temperature due to increasing Li depletion in cooler stars; it matches the
Li-temperature pattern found in the Hyades. The [C/Fe] and [O/Fe] abundances
are below solar and lower than the field star samples due to the younger age of
Praesepe (0.7 Gyr) than the field stars. The alpha-elements, Mg, Si, Ca, and
Ti, have solar ratios with respect to Fe, and are also lower than the field
star samples. The Fe-peak elements, Cr and Ni, track Fe and have solar values.
The neutron capture element [Y/Fe] is found to be solar, but [Ba/Fe] is
enhanced relative to solar and to the field stars. Three Praesepe giants were
studied by Carrera and Pancino; they are apparently enhanced in Na, Mg, and Ba
relative to the Praesepe dwarfs. The Na enhancement may indicate proton-capture
nucleosynthesis in the Ne -> Na cycling with dredge-up into the atmospheres of
the red giants.
