141 research outputs found
Zinc isotope ratios of bones and teeth as new dietary indicators: Results from a modern food web (Koobi Fora, Kenya)
Isotopic analysis of faunal material from South Uist, Western Isles, Scotland
This paper reports on the results from stable isotope analysis of faunal bone collagen from a number of Iron Age
and later sites on the island of South Uist, in the Western Isles, Scotland. This preliminary investigation into the isotopic signatures of the fauna is part of a larger project to model the interaction between humans, animals, and the broader environment in the Western Isles. The results demonstrate that the island fauna data fall within the range of expected results for the UK, with the terrestrial herbivorous diets of cattle and sheep confi rmed. The isotopic composition for pigs suggests that some of these animals had an omnivorous diet, whilst a single red deer value might be suggestive of the consumption of marine foods, such as by grazing on seaweed. However, further analysis is needed in order to verify this anomalous isotopic ratio
Integrating isotopes and documentary evidence : dietary patterns in a late medieval and early modern mining community, Sweden
We would like to thank the Archaeological Research Laboratory, Stockholm University, Sweden and the Tandem Laboratory (Ć
ngstrƶm Laboratory), Uppsala University, Sweden, for undertaking the analyses of stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes in both human and animal collagen samples. Also, thanks to Elin Ahlin Sundman for providing the Ī“13C and Ī“15N values for animal references from VƤsterĆ„s. This research (BƤckstrƶmās PhD employment at Lund University, Sweden) was supported by the Berit Wallenberg Foundation (BWS 2010.0176) and Jakob and Johan Sƶderbergās foundation. The āSala projectā (excavations and analyses) has been funded by Riksens Clenodium, Jernkontoret, Birgit and Gad Rausingās Foundation, SAUās Research Foundation, the Royal Physiographic Society of Lund, Berit Wallenbergs Foundation, Ć
ke Wibergs Foundation, Lars Hiertas Memory, Helge Ax:son Johnsonās Foundation and The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope enrichment in primate tissues
Isotopic studies of wild primates have used a wide range of tissues to infer diet and model the foraging ecologies of extinct species. The use of mismatched tissues for such comparisons can be problematic because differences in amino acid compositions can lead to small isotopic differences between tissues. Additionally, physiological and dietary differences among primate species could lead to variable offsets between apatite carbonate and collagen. To improve our understanding of the isotopic chemistry of primates, we explored the apparent enrichment (Īµ*) between bone collagen and muscle, collagen and fur or hair keratin, muscle and keratin, and collagen and bone carbonate across the primate order. We found that the mean Īµ* values of proteinaceous tissues were small (ā¤1ā°), and uncorrelated with body size or phylogenetic relatedness. Additionally, Īµ* values did not vary by habitat, sex, age, or manner of death. The mean Īµ* value between bone carbonate and collagen (5.6Ā Ā±Ā 1.2ā°) was consistent with values reported for omnivorous mammals consuming monoisotopic diets. These primate-specific apparent enrichment values will be a valuable tool for cross-species comparisons. Additionally, they will facilitate dietary comparisons between living and fossil primates
Dental calculus and isotopes provide direct evidence of fish and plant consumption in Mesolithic Mediterranean
In this contribution we dismantle the perceived role of marine resources and plant foods in the subsistence economy of Holocene foragers of the Central Mediterranean using a combination of dental calculus and stable isotope analyses. The discovery of fish scales and flesh fragments, starch granules and other plant and animal micro-debris in the dental calculus of a Mesolithic forager dated to the end of the 8th millenium BC and buried in the Vlakno Cave on Dugi Otok Island in the Croatian Archipelago demonstrates that marine resources were regularly consumed by the individual together with a variety of plant foods. Since previous stable isotope data in the Eastern Adriatic and the Mediterranean region emphasises that terrestrial-based resources contributed mainly to Mesolithic diets in the Mediterranean Basin, our results provide an alternative view of the dietary habits of Mesolithic foragers in the Mediterranean region based on a combination of novel methodologies and data
Multidisciplinary investigations of the diets of two post-medieval populations from London using stable isotopes and microdebris analysis
This paper presents the first multi-tissue study of diet in post-medieval London using both the stable light isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen and analysis of microdebris in dental calculus. Dietary intake was explored over short and long timescales. Bulk bone collagen was analysed from humans from the Queenās Chapel of the Savoy (QCS) (n = 66) and the St Barnabas/St Mary Abbots (SB) (n = 25). Incremental dentine analysis was performed on the second molar of individual QCS1123 to explore childhood dietary intake. Bulk hair samples (n = 4) were sampled from adults from QCS, and dental calculus was analysed from four other individuals using microscopy. In addition, bone collagen from a total of 46 animals from QCS (n = 11) and the additional site of Prescot Street (n = 35) was analysed, providing the first animal dietary baseline for post-medieval London. Overall, isotopic results suggest a largely C3-based terrestrial diet for both populations, with the exception of QCS1123 who exhibited values consistent with the consumption of C4 food sources throughout childhood and adulthood. The differences exhibited in Ī“15Ncoll across both populations likely reflect variations in diet due to social class and occupation, with individuals from SB likely representing wealthier individuals consuming larger quantities of animal and marine fish protein. Microdebris analysis results were limited but indicate the consumption of domestic cereals. This paper demonstrates the utility of a multidisciplinary approach to investigate diet across long and short timescales to further our understanding of variations in social status and mobility
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Serum carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes as potential biomarkers of dietary intake and their relation with incident type 2 diabetes: the EPIC-Norfolk study.
BACKGROUND: Stable-isotope ratios of carbon (Ā¹Ā³C/Ā¹Ā²C, expressed as Ī“Ā¹Ā³C) and nitrogen (Ā¹āµN/Ā¹ā“N, or Ī“Ā¹āµN) have been proposed as potential nutritional biomarkers to distinguish between meat, fish, and plant-based foods. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to investigate dietary correlates of Ī“Ā¹Ā³C and Ī“Ā¹āµN and examine the association of these biomarkers with incident type 2 diabetes in a prospective study. DESIGN: Serum Ī“Ā¹Ā³C and Ī“Ā¹āµN (ā°) were measured by using isotope ratio mass spectrometry in a case-cohort study (n = 476 diabetes cases; n = 718 subcohort) nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Norfolk population-based cohort. We examined dietary (food-frequency questionnaire) correlates of Ī“Ā¹Ā³C and Ī“Ā¹āµN in the subcohort. HRs and 95% CIs were estimated by using Prentice-weighted Cox regression. RESULTS: Mean (Ā±SD) Ī“Ā¹Ā³C and Ī“Ā¹āµN were -22.8 Ā± 0.4ā° and 10.2 Ā± 0.4ā°, respectively, and Ī“Ā¹Ā³C (r = 0.22) and Ī“Ā¹āµN (r = 0.20) were positively correlated (P < 0.001) with fish protein intake. Animal protein was not correlated with Ī“Ā¹Ā³C but was significantly correlated with Ī“Ā¹āµN (dairy protein: r = 0.11; meat protein: r = 0.09; terrestrial animal protein: r = 0.12, P ā¤ 0.013). Ī“Ā¹Ā³C was inversely associated with diabetes in adjusted analyses (HR per tertile: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.65, 0.83; P-trend < 0.001], whereas Ī“Ā¹āµN was positively associated (HR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.38; P-trend = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The isotope ratios Ī“Ā¹Ā³C and Ī“Ā¹āµN may both serve as potential biomarkers of fish protein intake, whereas only Ī“Ā¹āµN may reflect broader animal-source protein intake in a European population. The inverse association of Ī“Ā¹Ā³C but a positive association of Ī“Ā¹āµN with incident diabetes should be interpreted in the light of knowledge of dietary intake and may assist in identifying dietary components that are associated with health risks and benefits.The EPIC-Norfolk study is supported by program grants from the Medical Research Council UK and Cancer Research UK. MRC Epidemiology Unit core support is acknowledged (MC_UU_12015/1 and MC_UU_12015/5). TCO and CKK were supported by the Wellcome Trust (grant no. 074229/Z/04/Z).This version is the published accepted manuscript, distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0. It can also be found on the publisher's website at: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2014/07/02/ajcn.113.068577.abstrac
Manuring and stable nitrogen isotope ratios in cereals and pulses: towards a new archaeobotanical approach to the inference of land use and dietary practices
Diet and food strategies in a southern al-Andalusian urban environment during Caliphal period, ecija, Sevilla
The Iberian medieval period is unique in European history due to the widespread socio-cultural changes that took place after the
arrival of Arabs, Berbers and Islam in 711 AD. Recently, isotopic research has been insightful on dietary shifts, status, resource
availability and the impact of environment. However, there is no published isotopic research exploring these factors in southern
Iberian populations, and as the history of this area differs to the northern regions, this leaves a significant lacuna in our
knowledge. This research fills this gap via isotopic analysis of human (n = 66) and faunal (n = 13) samples from the 9th to the
13th century Ćcija, a town renowned for high temperatures and salinity. Stable carbon (Ī“13C) and nitrogen (Ī“15N) isotopes were
assessed from rib collagen, while carbon (Ī“13C) values were derived from enamel apatite. Human diet is consistent with C3 plant
consumption with a very minor contribution of C4 plants, an interesting feature considering the suitability of Ćcija to C4 cereal
production. Ī“15N values vary among adults, which may suggest variable animal protein consumption or isotopic variation within
animal species due to differences in foddering. Consideration of Ī“13C collagen and apatite values together may indicate sugarcane
consumption, while moderate Ī“15N values do not suggest a strong aridity or salinity effect. Comparison with other Iberian groups
shows similarities relating to time and location rather than by religion, although more multi-isotopic studies combined with
zooarchaeology and botany may reveal subtle differences unobservable in carbon and nitrogen collagen studies alone.OLC is funded by Plan Galego I2C mod.B (ED481D 2017/014). The research was partially funded by the projects āGalician Paleodietā and by Consiliencia network (ED 431D2017/08) Xunta de GaliciaS
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