Dietary Isotope Research Articles

The use of dietary isotopes as a preliminary step in the death investigation of unidentified skeletal human remains in British Columbia, Canada.

In British Columbia, Canada, unidentified skeletal human remains are often recovered by law enforcement or civilians and there is a question if they are modern and of medicolegal significance, or historical or archaeological. We used relatively fast and inexpensive carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of human bone collagen from a selection of these remains (n = 48) combined with a logistic regression model to classify remains as modern, historical, or archaeological. We then confirmed our temporal classification through directly radiocarbon dating each individual and found that we could predict the temporal group with 93% accuracy. In regions where archaeological remains have dietary isotope values distinct from living people, dietary stable isotope analysis can provide a time-, and resource-efficient method to screen cases of unidentified human remains early in death investigation.

Dietary stable isotope analysis on fifth–ninth century AD populations of Lepna and Viidumäe, Saaremaa Island, Estonia

This paper presents the results of dietary stable isotope analyses performed on Migration Period (450–550 AD) and Pre-Viking Age (550–800 AD) populations of Lepna and Viidumäe, Saaremaa Island, Estonia. To date, research on dietary stable isotope analysis in Estonia has mainly focused on populations from other historical periods with an exclusion of material from the fifth to ninth centuries AD. Moreover, the research has been mainly conducted on populations from mainland Estonia, with three Stone Age groups from Saaremaa Island previously studied. The results of this paper suggest that the individuals buried at Lepna and Viidumäe had a diet of mainly terrestrial resources with minimal input from fresh- or brackish-water fish and marine resources. These results are supported by previous zooarchaeological material from Saaremaa, as well as additional analysis of the animal bones found in the Lepna grave. Although the dietary isotope values of Lepna and Viidumäe are similar to previous Estonian data from the Bronze Age (1750–500 BC) up to the Medieval Period (1225–1550 AD), the isotope values of these two populations show variations from the data collected from Iron Age sites in Latvia, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland thus far.

Forager-farmer transition at the crossroads of East and Southeast Asia 4900 years ago

The southward expansion of East Asian farmers profoundly influenced the social evolution of Southeast Asia by introducing cereal agriculture. However, the timing and routes of cereal expansion in key regions are unclear due to limited empirical evidence. Here we report macrofossil, microfossil, multiple isotopic (C/N/Sr/O) and paleoproteomic data directly from radiocarbon-dated human samples, which were unearthed from a site in Xingyi in central Yunnan and which date between 7000 and 3300 a BP. Dietary isotopes reveal the earliest arrival of millet ca. 4900 a BP, and greater reliance on plant and animal agriculture was indicated between 3800 and 3300 a BP. The dietary differences between hunter-gatherer and agricultural groups are also evident in the metabolic and immune system proteins analysed from their skeletal remains. The results of paleoproteomic analysis indicate that humans had divergent biological adaptations, with and without farming. The combined application of isotopes, archaeobotanical data and proteomics provides a new approach to documenting dietary and health changes across major subsistence transitions.

Seeking their fortunes on the Otago goldfields, New Zealand – Constructing isotopic biographies of colonial goldminers

The nineteenth century New Zealand goldfields were a place where people from across the world came together in search of their fortunes. Written accounts of life on the diggings do exist but are of varying veracity and we therefore have little knowledge of the life experiences of those who came seeking gold. Recent excavations in cemeteries associated with the Otago goldrushes, however, are allowing direct reconstruction of lives using biological evidence from the skeletons themselves. In this study we use dietary isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N) of tissues which form at different points in the life course of an individual to create ‘isotopic biographies’ of goldrush-era individuals. In addition to telling the individual stories of these people, we also highlight differences in life experience between members of the European and Chinese communities, evidence for seasonal availability of resources on the goldfields, as well as unusual weaning patterns which potentially link to rural poverty experienced during childhood.

Regional long-term analysis of dietary isotopes in Neolithic southeastern Italy: new patterns and research directions

Isotopic analyses of prehistoric diet have only recently reached the threshold of going beyond site-focused reports to provide regional syntheses showing larger trends. In this work we present the first regional analysis for Neolithic southeastern Italy as a whole, including both substantial original data and a review of the available published data. The results show that dietary isotopes can shed new light on a number of traditional and important questions about Neolithic foodways. First, we observe regional variations in the distribution of stable isotope values across the area, suggesting variability in the Neolithic diet. Secondly, we show that, although the plant food calorific intake was primary for these communities, animal products were also important, representing on average 40% of the total calories. Third, we note that marine fish was only minorly consumed, but that this could be an underestimation, and we observe some variability in the regions considered, suggesting differences in local human–environment interactions. People in different regions of southeastern Italy may have consumed different versions of a common Neolithic diet. Regional synthesis also allows us to take stock of gaps and new directions in the field, suggesting an agenda for Neolithic isotopic research for the 2020s.

Paired stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of human enamel for forensic human geolocation: An exploratory study

Stable carbon isotope analysis has proven utility for reconstructing dietary information in humans in past populations. The usefulness of stable carbon for forensic geolocation has been little investigated, largely because of the globalization of the human diet seemingly rendering it inconsequential. This study queried this assumption at a country-wide level on a known sample group. Stable carbon isotope values were obtained from human enamel with known biographical and geographical information to determine whether stable carbon, when paired with stable oxygen isotope values, could differentiate Canadians from non-Canadians. Samples originating outside of Canada were separated into three regions, and a linear discriminant analysis was used to generate discriminant functions that best separate the regions according to the stable carbon and oxygen isotope values. The results revealed two functions, where the first function explained 92.1% and the second 7.9% of the variance. Although some overlap in stable carbon and oxygen values was observed for individuals from both the United States and Canada, differences were observed between those from Canada and other geographical regions. This study demonstrated that pairing the dietary isotope carbon with the geolocator stable oxygen isotope, produced an interesting separation geographically, one that might well be helpful when attempting a geolocation query on unknown human remains.

Dietary isotopes of Madagascar's extinct megafauna reveal holocene browsing and grazing guilds.

Megafauna play a disproportionate role in developing and maintaining their biomes, by regulating plant dispersal, community structure and nutrient cycling. Understanding the ecological roles of extinct megafaunal communities, for example through dietary reconstruction using isotope analysis, is necessary to determine pre-human states and set evidence-based restoration goals. We use δ13C and δ15N isotopic analyses to reconstruct Holocene feeding guilds in Madagascar's extinct megaherbivores, which included elephant birds, hippopotami and giant tortoises that occurred across multiple habitats and elevations. We compare isotopic data from seven taxa and two elephant bird eggshell morphotypes against contemporary regional floral baselines to infer dietary subsistence strategies. Most taxa show high consumption of C3 and/or CAM plants, providing evidence of widespread browsing ecology. However, Aepyornis hildebrandti, an elephant bird restricted to the central highlands region, has isotope values with much higher δ13C values than other taxa. This species is interpreted as having obtained up to 48% of its diet from C4 grasses. These findings provide new evidence for distinct browsing and grazing guilds in Madagascar's Holocene megaherbivore fauna, with implications for past regional distribution of ecosystems dominated by endemic C4 grasses.

A comparison of dietary isotopes in pulp stones and incremental dentine from Early Neolithic individuals of the Whitwell Long Cairn, England

ObjectivesThis study investigates if palaeodietary information can be obtained from pulp stones through stable isotope analysis, presents a method for their extraction from tooth samples, and assesses their utility as a source of paleodietary information when coupled with the incremental dentine method.Materials and MethodsSix tooth samples (2 per individual), four of which contained pulp stones, were selected from three Early Neolithic (3720–3650 cal BC) individuals from the Whitwell Long Cairn in Derbyshire, England. After demineralization, each tooth was divided into 1 mm increments. Stable isotope analysis of collagen was conducted on each dentine increment and a portion of each pulp stone.ResultsAll samples met the quality control criteria for well‐preserved collagen. Excluding the pulp stones, the mean δ13C value of the teeth sampled was −21.5 ± 0.2‰ and the mean δ15N value was 9.9 ± 0.5‰, suggesting these individuals had a terrestrial‐based diet. The pulp stones produced similar δ13C values between −21.6 and −21.4‰ and δ15N values between 9.1 and 9.8‰.DiscussionThe results demonstrate that paleodietary information can be obtained from pulp stones through stable isotope analysis. There are, however, significant challenges in interpreting this data, particularly as to inferring the timing and duration of their formation. The pulp stone results were compared with the incremental dentine profiles for each person to further investigate when they might have formed. For two individuals, the pulp stones appear to reflect diet from a time period after childhood and adolescence. For the third individual, it could not be determined if the pulp stones reflect a contemporary or later time period than the incremental dentine series. All teeth with pulp stones have moderate to severe wear on the occlusal surface, which could have been a contributing factor to their development.

Evaluating Dietary Diversity among Andean Central Altiplano Early Camelid Pastoralists Using Stable Isotope Analysis

ABSTRACT Stable isotope studies have revolutionised our understanding of food webs, subsistence, mobility and their change through time. In the Andes, dietary stable isotopic studies have often focused on timing the adoption of maize as a staple food and identifying camelid pastoralism in selected valleys of the Pacific coast. Few studies have focused on highland societies and understanding pastoralist communities in particular, but the underlying assumption has been that camelid herders had essentially narrow and specialised diets. To evaluate this assertion, we analyzed dietary carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of 27 human and 23 faunal specimens from nine archaeological sites located in the Central Altiplano of Bolivia supported by 27 radiocarbon dates. Our results suggest important diversity characterised both human and animal isotopic ecology between 1300 BCE and 1200 CE. The collected data also demonstrates that maize was not regularly consumed, suggesting interregional food exchange between this region of the Altiplano and its neighboring lowland inter-Andean valleys likely postdated 1100 CE. Consistent with reliance on cultivated crops such as chenopods and tubers and wild fauna including rodents, birds and fish, early camelid herders in the Andean Central Altiplano relied on a generalised form of pastoralism.

Food Has No Borders

Isotopic analyses of human remains augment the biological profile with geolocation and dietary information, furthering efforts to identify unknown individuals from a forensic context. Here we test the methodological resolution of geolocation (δ18O, 87Sr/86Sr) and dietary (δ13C, δ15N) isotopes of one identified individual who immigrated to New York City from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Lesser Antilles. Isotope-based geolocation estimates did not identify the childhood residency on SVG, but did point to New York City as a possible residence during early adulthood. The individual’s C3-based diet did not significantly change from childhood to early adulthood, illustrating the maintenance of food traditions after the immigration event. This study illustrates that further development of tissue-specific isoscapes incorporating bioavailable foods, drinking water, and cultural traditions is warranted to refine methodological resolution of isotopic applications in forensic anthropology.

Diachronic changes in diet in medieval Berlin: Comparison of dietary isotopes from pre- and post-Black Death adults

The precise time, the original location, and the processes involved in the creation of Germany’s capital Berlin are still unknown due to a lack of surviving documents. As such, archaeology and bioarchaeology play a critical role in understanding the people who lived in medieval Berlin. In this paper, we describe an isotope analysis aimed at identifying what the early inhabitants of Berlin were eating and at inferring dietary variation among skeletons sexed as male versus female, and among those interred before and after the Yersinia pestis pandemic known as the Black Death (1347–1352 CE). Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios from 66 skeletons from the medieval cemetery site of Petriplatz indicate that males consumed proportionately more protein than females before the Black Death. However, a significant increase in δ15N values in skeletons associated with post-Black Death contexts suggests an increased consumption of animal protein for both males and females. This study is the first dietary isotopic analysis to be conducted on the skeletons at Petriplatz and is only the second paleodietary isotopic reconstruction of the High Middle Ages in Germany. Consequently, this study provides key insights into the cultural responses to the ecology of the Black Death by the people of Berlin within the broader context of medieval Germany and medieval Europe.

Blow fly stable isotopes reveal larval diet: A case study in community level anthropogenic effects.

Response to human impacts on the environment are typically initiated too late to remediate negative consequences. We present the novel use of stable isotope analysis (SIA) of blow flies to determine human influences on vertebrate communities in a range of human-inhabited environments, from a pristine national park to a dense metropolitan area. The refrain “you are what you eat” applies to the dietary isotope record of all living organisms, and for carrion-breeding blow flies, this translates to the type of carcasses present in an environment. Specifically, we show that carnivore carcasses make up a large proportion of the adult fly’s prior larval diet, which contrasts to what has been reportedly previously for the wild adult fly diet (which consists of mostly herbivore resources). Additionally, we reveal the potential impact of human food on carcasses that were fed on by blow flies, underscoring the human influences on wild animal populations. Our results demonstrate that using SIA in conjunction with other methods (e.g., DNA analysis of flies) can reveal a comprehensive snapshot of the vertebrate community in a terrestrial ecosystem.

Advancing diet reconstruction in fish eye lenses

Abstract Tracking habitat use and dietary shifts in migratory species is vital to conservation and management. Yet, conventional animal tracking often precludes tracking small juveniles at critical life stages where recruitment bottlenecks often manifest. Stable isotope analysis (SIA) in consecutive laminae in eye lenses, a protein‐rich depositional tissue, has emerged as a promising tool in fishes to develop long‐term interpretive records of dietary histories using a single archival tissue. Currently, studies using fish eye lenses to study SIA in diets have primarily been conducted in marine environments using δ13C and δ15N to identify resource partitioning, ontogenetic shifts and lifelong trophic histories. To date, no studies have examined freshwater taxa nor used δ34S isotopes. We placed juvenile (Chinook Salmon) Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in experimental enclosures in three different freshwater habitats (hatchery, river and seasonal floodplain), each with isotopically distinct and well‐characterized food webs. This experimental approach allowed us to directly measure diets and quantify tissue turnover rates in eye lenses as well as the isotopic fractionation among fish tissues (fin and muscle tissue) in distinct habitat types using stable isotopes δ13C, δ15N and δ34S. Bulk eye‐lens stable isotope measurements were analysed for juvenile salmon lenses and were found to be consistent with the isotopic values of rearing habitats. Slight additional isotopic fractionation was only found in δ13C. We then successfully applied the method to a larger, reproductively mature adult salmon captured in freshwater and inferred juvenile habitat use. SIA in eye lenses using three dietary isotopes (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S) has significant potential for answering critical questions about migration, diet, foraging ecology and life history of migratory aquatic animals on Earth. Such information would have immediate application towards conservation management of diverse species and habitats at multiple scales.

Mitochondrial DNA analysis of the putative skeletal remains of Sieur de Marle: Genetic support for anthropological assessment of biogeographic ancestry

In 1932, seven burials were discovered on a Texas plantation that was originally the site of a 17th-century Caddo Indian village. Of the seven excavated graves, one set of remains (an adult male) was notably buried in a manner inconsistent with traditional Caddoan burial practices and has long been purported to be the remains of Sieur de Marle (a member of the French explorer La Salle’s last expedition). Diary accounts of La Salle’s expedition scribe report that Sieur de Marle died along a river near an Indian village during a trek to Canada to find help for colonists left behind at the ill-fated Fort St. Louis. Additionally, two lead projectiles recovered from the grave were ballistically analyzed and determined to be consistent with ammunition used in 17th-century weaponry. In the 1980s, anthropologists requested access to the remains for study, but the skull was missing. Cranial measurements recorded in 1940 and 1962 (by two independent anthropologists) were used to investigate the ancestry of this individual; and the Giles-Elliot (G-E) discriminant function was calculated to be 18.1, within the Anglo-European range. Dietary isotope testing on non-cranial skeletal elements determined that this unknown male’s diet was rich in animal/marine protein sources, which differs appreciably from Caddo Indian populations of that time period. In order to genetically assess this individual’s biogeographic ancestry and to provide further support that this individual is of European descent, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing was performed using the Applied Biosystems™ Precision ID mtDNA Whole Genome Panel. mtDNA sequencing of multiple sections from two different long bones yielded compiled results consistent with either Haplogroup H or R, both predominantly European mtDNA haplogroups. Further anthropological calculations were conducted using cranial measurements, FORDISC™ software, and discriminant function analysis. Two-way, four-way, and multigroup discriminant function analyses further classify this set of unidentified remains as being White (European) in origin, with posterior probabilities of 0.999, 0.881 and 0.986, respectively. Combined with historical records of Sieur de Marle’s death, as well as overlays of historical and contemporary maps which demonstrate that the plantation site aligns with Joutel’s diary accounts of de Marle’s burial, these collective results support that these remains are of a European male and may possibly belong to this prominent member of La Salle’s expedition team.

DIET ISOTOPE ANALYSIS AND RELATED STUDIES IN PREHISTORIC UKRAINE: FACT, FICTION AND FANTASY

The authors consider scientific studies of Ukrainian skeletal material across the Epipalaeolithic to Eneolithic periods and offer some observations in relation to the efficacy of studies undertaken by different researchers. Firstly, the authors summarize the results of their own research since the original research undertaken by Lillie in the early 1990s, and present period based overviews (fig. 1—3) which discuss the nature of the evidence, the fact that fish remains important across the periods studied. The data also highlights the fact that by the Eneolithic period different culture groups are following distinct subsistence strategies. This is obviously marked by western dietary pathways linked to the integration of agro-pastoralism (and associated to presumed Trypillia farming groups at Verteba Cave), and those of the eastern hunter-fisher-foragers in the Dnieper region at Igren VIII and Molukhov Bugor.
 Interestingly the chronological separation between these two sites is also linked to dietary variability. At the earlier site of Igren VIII there is diet isotope evidence for a relatively heavy reliance on freshwater resources as ca. 4300—4000 cal BC, whilst at the latter site of Molukhov Bugor, at 3950—3700 cal BC, a reduction in the reliance on freshwater resources is in evidence. This is accompanied by evidence for a broader spectrum approach to the exploitation of the wild resources in and around the Dnieper Rapids region. Radiocarbon dating is shown to be affected by the FRE at the sites in and around the Dnieper system. This is clearly not the case at Verteba Cave because the freshwater reservoir effect is not associated with dietary pathways that place a reliance on terrestrial resources.
 The authors discuss the dating (fig. 4—6) and mobility and dietary isotope studies that they undertook at this location and contextualize these by comparison to the work of other researchers. It is suggested that some issues occur in relation to the different research groups activities at Verteba Cave, and the fact that there is a clear need for a more considered approach to the data presented by these other groups is highlighted. It could be argued that a lack of detailed knowledge and collaboration occurs despite the fact that there are clear overlaps between research agendas. The authors conclude with a call for targeted multi-disciplinary analyses aimed at whole cemetery studies in order to further enhance our understanding of socio-economic and societal developments during the early to mid-Holocene in Ukraine.

Strontium (87 Sr/86 Sr) isotope analysis of the Namu skeletal assemblage: A study of past human migration on Taumako, a Polynesian Outlier in the eastern Solomon Islands.

This study aims to assess if inter-island mobility can be identified during the Namu period (ca. 1,510-1800 AD) using 87 Sr/86 Sr analysis of dental enamel for individuals from the Namu burial ground on Taumako Island in the eastern Solomon Island Chain. Historic evidence from this region suggests that females migrated between the Duff, Reef, and Santa Cruz islands for marriage purposes. We hypothesize that observable trends in migrational (87 Sr/86 Sr) and dietary (δ13 C and δ15 N) isotopes can reveal the relationship between demographic factors, social status, diet, and female mobility on Taumako. This research analyzes enamel 87 Sr/86 Sr for 58 individuals in the Namu skeletal sample. The 87 Sr/86 Sr results were compared with published dietary isotope data (bone collagen and dentin δ13 C and δ15 N values) and type/number of grave goods to assess whether trends within the data may be related to sex, age, or burial wealth. The results show that females display significantly higher 87 Sr/86 Sr values compared to males. One young adult female displayed a 87 Sr/86 Sr value that was +2SD outside the mean for the sampled individuals. A linear mixed-effects model and principle components analysis of 87 Sr/86 Sr, δ13 C, and δ15 N values suggest that wealth, sex, and age-cohort membership have an observable influence on the isotopic variation for the Taumako population. We suggest that during the Namu period, Taumako was patrilocal and that some females migrated there from the nearby Santa Cruz and Reef islands. One female immigrated to Taumako from a geologically distinct region outside of the Duff, Reef, and Santa Cruz Island groups.

Lifeways at the acme of the south Italian Neolithic: New chronological and bioarchaeological data from Fonteviva, Apulia

This paper presents new bioarchaeological and chronological data from Early-Middle Neolithic burials from Apulia, and discusses the wider context of these results in terms of the dynamics of the south-east Italian Neolithic. Two burials from the Neolithic village of Fonteviva on the Apulian Tavoliere were radiocarbon dated in tandem with measurements of dietary stable isotopes (13C, 15N). These results were then compared to all the currently available chronological and isotopic data for the Apulia region. The radiocarbon dates for the two adult individuals from Fonteviva places them at the mid-6th millennium BC. The analysis of comparative radiocarbon data shows that the mid-6th millennium BC was the ‘acme’ – the most developed point – of Neolithic settlement activity on the Apulian Tavoliere, which was in-turn one of the most densely-occupied areas in all of Europe in the Neolithic. The analysis of dietary isotopes showed both individuals from Fonteviva to have had diets based on terrestrial proteins, typical for the Apulian and wider European Neolithic. Slightly enriched nitrogen 15N values in both individuals highlight the potential for underlying dietary variability. This research also demonstrates the importance of revisiting archive collections of human remains with new methodologies and approaches, and similarly taking a renewed look at their wider archaeological context.

All things bright: copper grave goods and diet at the Neolithic site of Osłonki, Poland

Understanding socioeconomic inequality is fundamental for studies of societal development in European prehistory. This article presents dietary (δ13C and δ15N) isotope values for human and animal bone collagen from Early Neolithic Osłonki 1 in north-central Poland (c. 4600–4100 cal BC). A new series of AMS radiocarbon determinations show that, of individuals interred at the same time, those with copper artefacts exhibit significantly higher δ13C values than those without. The authors’ results suggest a link between high-status goods and intra-community differences in diet and/or preferential access to the agropastoral landscape.

Population movements of the Huron-Wendat viewed through strontium isotope analysis

Environmental isotopes can provide information about the composition of groups and the movement of people across landscapes. The archaeological record of Huron-Wendat communities in south-central Ontario is one of numerous drainage-based sequences of small villages among which families or larger population segments moved. These villages amalgamated in the early to mid-sixteenth century into fewer, larger communities. Strontium isotope values (87Sr/86Sr) are used to test hypotheses about these early localized interactions and later amalgamations. There is little prior information about strontium values from this region which was recently glaciated and receives ample precipitation. From the late thirteenth century onward, ancestral Huron-Wendat communities had distinct burial practices of primary burial followed by secondary, collective ossuary burial. Strontium values from tooth enamel of 118 human first permanent molars from 15 archaeological contexts spanning four centuries are interpreted in a framework of archaeologically derived deer (N = 34), small (N = 35) and other large (N = 7) mammals. Reflecting their local origins, 87Sr/86Sr values of small mammals from three geological substrates differ significantly from one another. Each small mammal group clusters more tightly than those of deer. Most human 87Sr/86Sr values agree with small mammal values, by region. Three sites, out of six with more than 10 data points, show mean human 87Sr/86Sr values that differ significantly from the small mammal values of their geological substrate, signaling community movement and individual in-migration. Interpretation of individual human values outside local ranges is informed by information from dietary isotopes. Environmental isotopes substantiate and enhance our prior understandings of the ancestral Huron-Wendat.

New Radiocarbon Dates from the Late Paleoindian Cody Complex Component at the Lamb Spring Site, Douglas County, Colorado

ABSTRACT Extant collections, such as those from the Lamb Spring site near Denver, Colorado, provide the opportunity to fine-tune existing chronologies through the application of new techniques. Here we present three newly obtained, high precision AMS radiocarbon dates – 9425 ± 20, 9445 ± 25, and 9470 ± 25 radiocarbon years BP (averaging 9443 radiocarbon years BP) – on bison killed by the site’s Cody complex inhabitants. These new dates are older than the previously reported ages from the Cody deposit and provide a more reliable assessment of the component’s age. Dietary stable carbon isotopes obtained on the dated samples suggest the bison kill (or kills) likely occurred during a time when warm-and-dry-tolerant C4 grasses were increasing relative to the previously dominant, cool-weather-tolerant C3 grasses.