  Accurate measurements of lithium abundances in young low-mass stars provide
an independent and reliable age diagnostics. Previous studies of nearby star
forming regions have identified significant numbers of Li-depleted stars,often
at levels inconsistent with the ages indicated by their luminosity. We aim at a
new and accurate analysis of Li abundances in a sample of ~100 pre-main
sequence stars in Taurus-Auriga using a homogeneous and updated set of stellar
parameters and model atmospheres appropriate for the spectral types of the
sample stars.We compute Li abundances using published values of the equivalent
widths of the Li 6708 A doublet obtained from medium/high resolution spectra.
We find that the number of significantly Li-depleted stars in Taurus-Auriga is
greatly reduced with respect to earlier results. Only 13 stars have abundances
lower than the interstellar value by a factor of 5 or greater. All of them are
weak-lined T Tauri stars drawn from X-ray surveys; with the exception of four
stars located near the L1551 and L1489 dark clouds, all the Li-depleted stars
belong to the class of dispersed low-mass stars, distributed around the main
sites of current star formation. If located at the distance of Taurus-Auriga,
the stellar ages implied by the derived Li abundances are in the range 3-30
Myr, greater than the bulk of the Li-rich population with implication on the
star formation history of the region. In order to derive firm conclusions about
the fraction of Li-depleted stars of Taurus-Auriga, Li measurements of the
remaining members of the association should be obtained, in particular of the
group of stars that fall in the Li-burning region of the HR diagram.
