Nitrogen Isotope Collagen

Stable isotope analyses provide one of the only means to evaluate diet of extinct taxa. However, interpreting isotope data from bone collagen of extinct animals based on isotopic patterns in different tissues of modern animal proxies is precarious. For example, three corrections are needed before making comparisons of recent hair and ancient bone collagen: calibration of carbon-13 variations in atmospheric CO2, different isotopic discrimination between diet-hair keratin and diet-bone collagen, and time averaging of bone collagen versus short-term record in hair keratin. Recently, Robu et al. [23] published an article comparing extant carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopic data of European cave bear bone collagen with those of Yellowstone Park grizzly bear hair in order to test the prevailing assumption of a largely vegetarian diet among cave bears. The authors concluded that cave bears were carnivores. This work is unfortunately unfounded as the authors failed to consider the necessary corrections listed above. When these corrections are applied to the Romanian cave bears, these individuals can be then interpreted without involving consumption of high trophic-level food, and environmental changes are probably the reason for the unusual isotopic composition of these cave bears in comparison with other European cave bears, rather than a change of diet.  We caution researchers to pay careful attention to these factors when interpreting feeding ecology of extinct fauna using stable isotope techniques.

Species interactions form food webs, impacting community structure and, potentially, ecological dynamics. It is likely that global climatic perturbations that occur over long periods of time have a significant influence on species interaction patterns. Here, we integrate stable isotope analysis and network theory to reconstruct patterns of trophic interactions for six independent mammalian communities that inhabited mammoth steppe environments spanning western Europe to eastern Alaska (Beringia) during the Late Pleistocene. We use a Bayesian mixing model to quantify the contribution of prey to the diets of local predators, and assess how the structure of trophic interactions changed across space and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), a global climatic event that severely impacted mammoth steppe communities. We find that large felids had diets that were more constrained than those of co-occurring predators, and largely influenced by an increase in Rangifer abundance after the LGM. Moreover, the structural organization of Beringian and European communities strongly differed: compared with Europe, species interactions in Beringian communities before—and possibly after—the LGM were highly modular. We suggest that this difference in modularity may have been driven by the geographical insularity of Beringian communities.

Isotopic tracking of carnivore palaeoecology is a relatively new approach that yielded important results for the study of the non-analogue mammoth steppe biome. After describing the prerequisite to apply this approach and the possible complications, the main achievements will be described for extinct carnivore species such as scimitar-tooth cat Homotherium serum, cave lion Panthera spelaea, giant short-faced bear Arctodus simus, cave bear Ursus spelaeus s.l., as well as for ancient representatives of extant species such as brown bear Ursus arctos and wolf Canis lupus. Isotopic tracking showed that scimitar-tooth cats in Alaska were not a specialist proboscidean predators but rather generalist consumers of other large herbivores. The majority of cave lions analyzed so far were focused on reindeer, some individuals were specialized on cave bears, especially in contexts of competition with cave hyenas. Giant short-faced bears in Alaska were not pure herbivores and consumed meat from reindeer, muskoxen and possibly other predators, but may have still incorporated plant resources in their menu. In contrast, all cave bear populations studied so far for which a clear dietary reconstruction could be done were virtually pure herbivores, only a few cases are still unclear. Interestingly, brown bears used the opposite extreme of the dietary spectrum when competing with other large bears such as cave bears and giant short-faced bears, i.e. were more carnivorous in Europe and more herbivorous in Alaska. Finally wolves seem to have been outcompeted by hyenas but became dominant predators during the Lateglacial in Europe to the expense of the last cave lions. The results obtained through this approach are also relevant for improving conservation strategies of endangered extant large carnivores.

Teeth and bones of fossil vertebrates can preserve a record of Quaternary terrestrial environments in the form of the isotopic compositions of carbon (13C/12C), nitrogen (15N/14N), and oxygen (18O/16O). These isotopic signatures in teeth and bones have yielded valuable information on the extent of savanna environments under tropical climates, on the ancient levels of aridity, on the spread of dense forests at the beginning of the Holocene, and on the paleodiet of Hominids and their associated fauna.

The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) was an emblematic and key species of the so-called mammoth steppe ecosystem between ca. 110,000 and 12,000 years ago. Its contribution to human subsistence during the Gravettian period as source of raw material was documented in southwestern France and southwestern Germany, with some evidence of active hunting in the latter region. However, decreasing genetic diversity and increasing indications of nutritional stress point to a likely decline of this megaherbivore. The specificity of the ecological niche occupied by the woolly mammoth is clearly reflected by their collagen 13C and 15N abundances (δ13Ccoll and δ15Ncoll), measured on skeletal remains of the typical mammoth steppe. The abundances of carbon-13 in mammoth collagen are comparable to those of other grazers like horse (Equus sp.), while the nitrogen-15 abundances are significantly higher (about 3‰) than in the other herbivores, either horse or reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). During the Aurignacian and Gravettian occupation at Geißenklösterle in the Ach Valley (Germany), the mammoths had the expected stable isotope signature, but the nitrogen-15 of horses showed an unexpected overlap with those of the mammoth. This unusual pattern was already occurring during the Aurignacian, while the oxygen-18 abundances in bone phosphate (δ18Obp) of horse and reindeer were unchanged between Aurignacian and Gravettian periods, which rules out significant change in environmental and climatic conditions. Thus, we hypothesize that during the Aurignacian and Gravettian, the ecological niche of mammoth was intact but not occupied intensively by mammoths due to a decline in their population. This decline could be tentatively explained by human pressure through hunting. In Dordogne (France), decreasing horse and reindeer δ15Ncoll values coeval to decreasing horse δ18Obp values between the Aurignacian and the Early Gravettian periods reflected a clear change in the environment, while no contrast in δ15Ncoll values was observed between the Early and Final Gravettian at the Abri Pataud. The mammoth of Dordogne yielded slightly higher δ15Ncoll values than expected, probably as a consequence of the nursing effect since all the analyzed samples were ivory instead of bone. The direct dating and sulphur-34 measurement on the ivory of the Early Gravettian at Pataud showed that almost all of them were of contemporaneous and local origin. Significant contrasts in δ34Scoll values were found between the Dordogne and the Ach Valley for the same herbivores species, which confirms the potential of sulphur-34 in collagen as a mobility tracker.

The Gravettian site of Předmostí I in the central Moravian Plain has yielded a rich and diverse large mammal fauna dated around 25-27,000 14C years BP (ca. 29,500–31,500 cal BP). This fauna includes numerous carnivores (cave lion, wolf, brown bear, polar fox, wolverine) and herbivores (reindeer, large bovine, red deer, muskox, horse, woolly rhinoceros, woolly mammoth) whose trophic position could be reconstructed using stable isotopic tracking (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of bone collagen (n=63). Among large canids, two morphotypes, “Pleistocene wolves” and “Palaeolithic dogs”, were considered, and two human bones attributed to the Gravettian assemblage of Předmostí I were also sampled. The trophic system around the Gravettian settlement of Předmostí I showed the typical niche partitioning among herbivores and carnivores seen in other mammoth-steppe contexts. The contribution of the analyzed prey species to the diet of the predators, including humans, was evaluated using a Bayesian mixing model (SIAR). Lions included great amounts of reindeer/muskox and possibly bison in their diet, while Pleistocene wolves were more focused on horse and possibly mammoth. Strong reliance on mammoth meat was found for the human of the site, similarly to previously analyzed individuals from other Gravettian sites in Moravia. Interestingly, the large canids interpreted as “Palaeolithic dogs” had a high proportion of reindeer/muskox in their diet, while consumption of mammoth would be expected from the availability of this prey especially in case of close interaction with humans. The peculiar isotopic composition of the Palaeolithic dogs of Předmostí I may indicate some control of their dietary intake by Gravettian people, who could have use them more for transportation than hunting purpose.

We have measured the 14C content of human femoral mid-shaft collagen to determine the dynamics of adult collagen turnover, using the sudden doubling and subsequent slow relaxation of global atmospheric 14C content due to nuclear bomb testing in the 1960s and 1970s as a tracer. 14C measurements were made on bone collagen from 67 individuals of both sexes who died in Australia in 1990-1993, spanning a range of ages at death from 40 to 97, and these measurements were compared with values predicted by an age-dependent turnover model. We found that the dataset could constrain models of collagen turnover, with the following outcomes: 1) Collagen turnover rate of females decreases, on average, from 4%/yr to 3%/yr from 20 to 80 years. Male collagen turnover rates average 1.5–3%/yr over the same period. 2) For both sexes the collagen turnover rate during adolescent growth is much higher (5–15%/yr at age 10–15 years), with males having a significantly higher turnover rate than have females, by up to a factor of 2. 3) Much of the variation in residual bomb 14C in a person's bone can be attributed to individual variation in turnover rate, but of no more than about 30% of the average values for adults. 4) Human femoral bone collagen isotopically reflects an individual's diet over a much longer period of time than 10 years, including a substantial portion of collagen synthesised during adolescence Am J Phys Anthropol, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

First stable isotope results for cave bears from the Swiss Alpine cave sites Drachenloch and Wildenmannlisloch are presented. Remains from Holocene brown bears and yet undated ungulata remains are used for comparison. The obtained results for the cave bears confirmed the already observed trend to more depleted carbon isotope (δ13C) with increasing height of the cave.

In this pilot study, stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes from bone collagen and apatite of skeletons from the 11th and 12th century cemetery in Giecz, Poland are interpreted. Isotope values from a small number of fish and animal bones from the same archaeological site are also examined. The goal of this research is to provide preliminary evidence of diet for a group of medieval Polish peasants, with particular emphasis on sex-based differences in diet. Results of isotope analyses suggest diet of this early medieval population was omnivorous and terrestrial-based. Fish bones sampled exhibit low d13C ratios, and in half of the cases are significantly enriched in 15N, indicating they are freshwater species. Human bones do not reflect these signatures, suggesting freshwater fish were not a significant source of dietary protein at Giecz. The 13Ccoll from some human bones is enriched beyond what might be expected from an exclusively C3 diet. Associated mammal bones do not exhibit similarly elevated d13Ccoll ratios, suggesting enrichment among humans is not due to consumption of animals foddered on C4 plants. Two possible sources of 13Ccoll enrichment are marine fish in diet and direct consumption of a C4 plant, such as millet. The d13C values obtained from bone apatite of a small subset of humans suggest that millet contributes to 13Ccoll enrichment, although at least three individuals may have also consumed small amounts of marine fish. Sex-based differences in d15N ratios indicate that men consumed relatively more animal products (meat or dairy) than did women. There is also a correlation between d13Ccoll and d15N values in skeletons of men that is absent in women. These carbon and nitrogen isotope data are the first reported for any Polish population and contribute to a more complete picture of dietary adaptation and social organization in medieval Europe.

The Maya who inhabited southeastern Mesoamerica from the Preclassic to Colonial periods (1000 BCE to 1821 CE) have been the focus of intensive archaeological study for over a century. Recent theoretical and methodological developments have contributed to nuanced understandings of Maya migration and subsistence practices. Stable sulfur isotope (δ34S) analysis of bone collagen is a novel technique that has been applied to Maya skeletal collections, although the variation in environmental δ34S values throughout the Maya region has yet to be systematically characterized. This research presents the first Maya faunal sulfur isotope baseline based on the δ34S values of 148 archaeological faunal remains from 13 sites in the Northern and Southern Lowlands. As expected, terrestrial animals in coastal areas had elevated δ34S due to sea spray. However, those from inland sites had unexpectedly high δ34S values that varied depending on the age of the underlying limestone. Although the δ34S values of marine animals were lower than expected, similarly low values in freshwater animals permits the differentiation of freshwater and terrestrial animals at inland sites. These data demonstrate that sufficient variation in δ34S values exists in the Maya region to identify sources of protein and nonlocal animals, which speaks to prehispanic Maya animal exchange and interregional interaction. The δ34S values of 49 humans from seven Maya sites ranging from the Preclassic to Colonial periods were also interpreted using the faunal baseline. The spatial distribution of human δ34S values differed from that of the terrestrial fauna, demonstrating sociocultural variation in Maya resource procurement in addition to underlying environmental influences. A comparison of carbon and nitrogen data from the same individuals also revealed the consumption of protein from different catchments. Nonlocal δ34S values show three individuals migrated near the end of their lives, and when integrated with childhood strontium and oxygen isotope data from tooth enamel, demonstrate a more robust means of investigating the length of residence and potentially the extent of integration into the receiving community. Finally, a case study of the prehispanic Maya from Nakum, Guatemala, demonstrates the contributions of stable sulfur isotope analysis to the interpretation of Maya subsistence strategies and migration when integrated into a multi-isotopic approach.

Carbon and nitrogen isotopic abundances of fossil bone collagen reflect those of the average diet, and they can be preserved for tens of thousands of years under favourable conditions. Spy Neandertals offer a favourable case for the use of the isotopic approach to reconstruct their diet and ecology. The collagen preservation in Late Pleistocene Belgium caves is extremely good. The new radiocarbon dates obtained on Neandertal and faunal specimens from Spy allow relevant comparison between contemporaneous organisms, from Spy or nearby caves, such as Scladina and Goyet. Comparisons of prey selection patterns based on isotopic results were made between Spy Neandertals and animal predators, such as hyaenas and cave lions. Prey selection of Spy Neandertals was oriented on megafauna, such as woolly mammoths and woolly rhinoceros, while hyaenas were more opportunistic and cave lions more oriented on reindeer. The results obtained on Spy Neandertals
were compared with those obtained on other Belgian Neandertals (Scladina, Engis), other European Neandertals (Saint-Césaire,
Les Pradelles), and with those of early Holocene hunter-gatherers from Belgium. The focus of late Neandertals from Spy on megafauna was also visible on the late Neandertal from Saint-Césaire. The carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures of Spy Neandertals are not found in any analysed Holocene modern humans from Belgium.

Two skull fragments were recovered from an ancient collection gathered by private searchers prospecting
in the Mullerthal rock shelters in the eighties. The skull anatomy and the 14C datation (29000 BC) allow
to attribute the material to an Upper palaeolithic parietal bone (final Aurignacian or Gravettian). The anatomical
examination agrees with a human attribution, but palaeonutrition data from stable isotopes spectrometry
allowed to distinguish between human and juvenile bear remains, a common confusion in archaeology and
palaeo-anthropology.

This study presents isotopic data (d13C and d15N from bone collagen) for 104 samples representing 29 vertebrate taxa from late pre-contact through to contact era (ca. 2000 – 100 BP) Haida Gwaii (British Columbia, Canada) from a wide variety of mostly marine organisms. The results demonstrate the considerable isotopic variability that characterizes potential prey items in coastal contexts and underscores the need for baseline faunal data to interpret human subsistence practices. Based on these data, a detailed marine food web was constructed, which provides insight into local ecological conditions. We present a simple method for quantifying the trophic level of ancient fauna using d15N of bone collagen. Finally, we discuss the implications of this study for the reconstruction of human diet.

Les abondances isotopiques en 13C et en 15N mesurées sur du collagène osseux d'ours des cavernes (Ursus spelaeus) de la grotte d'Aldène indiquent clairement un régime al imentaire végétarien pour cette espèce. Par contre, les abondances isotopiques en 15N du collagène extrait de la dentine de cet animal sont nettement plus élevées que celles du collagène osseux, ce qui reflète très probablement l'influence de la lactation. Les abondances isotopiques en I3C de la carbonate hydroxyla-patite d'émail d'ours sont plus faibles que celles des autres mammifères, ce qui est probablement dû à l'utilisation de lipides pendant l'hibernation. Ce phénomène se retrouve sur les ours de tous les niveaux, y compris les plus anciens. Les abondances isotopiques en 180 de la carbonate hydroxylapatite d'émail d'ours varient très peu en fonction des niveaux stratigraphiques, ce qui ne permet pas leur utilisation pour des reconstitutions paléoclima-tiques. Cette absence de variations est soit une conséquence de l'hiberna-tion des ours, soit due à une altération diagénétique de ces valeurs isoto-piques. Abstract.-I3C and 15N isotopie abundances measured on bone collagen from Aldene Cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) clearly indicate a vegetarian diet for this species. 15N isotopie abundance of dentine collagen are plainly higher than those in bone collagen. This is most probably a consequence of lactation. I3C isotopie abundances measured on bear

Organic matter extracted from fossi! mammals from AIdène Cave comes from collagen, preserved in large proportion. Fossil species of known-diet present d13C and d15N values in agreement wilh lhe values of lheir recent equivalents; it is thus possible to interpret palaeodiets of cave bear: this extinct species was almost exclusively a plant-eater.

Quantitative individual human diet reconstruction using isotopic data and a Bayesian approach typically requires the inclusion of several model parameters, such as individual isotopic data, isotopic and macronutrient composition of food groups, diet-to-tissue isotopic offsets and dietary routing. In an archaeological context, sparse data may hamper a widespread application of such models. However, simpler models may be proposed to address specific archaeological questions. As a consequence of the intake of marine foods, individuals from the first century AD Roman site of Herculaneum showed well-defined bone collagen radiocarbon
age offsets from the expected terrestrial value. Taking as reference these radiocarbon offsets and using as model input stable isotope data (δ13C and δ15N), the performance of two Bayesian mixing model instances (routed and concentration dependent model versus nonrouted and concentration-independent) was compared to predict the carbon contribution of marine foods to bone collagen. Predictions generated by both models were in good agreement with observed values. The model with higher complexity showed only a slightly better performance in terms of accuracy and precision. This demonstrates that under similar circumstances, a simple Bayesian approach can be applied to quantify the carbon contribution of marine foods to human bone collagen.

The Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition around 35,000 years ago coincides with the replacement of Neanderthals by Anatomically Modern Humans in Europe. Several hypotheses were suggested to explain this replacement, one of them being the ability of Anatomically Modern Humans to broaden their dietary spectrum beyond the large ungulate prey that Neanderthals consumed exclusively. This scenario is notably based on higher nitrogen-15 amounts in early Upper Palaeolithic Anatomically Modern Humans bone collagen compared to late Neanderthals. In this paper, we document a clear increase of nitrogen-15 in bone collagen of terrestrial herbivores during the early Aurignacian associated to Anatomically Modern Humans compared to the stratigraphically older Châtelperronian and late Mousterian fauna associated with late Neanderthals. Carnivores such as wolves exhibit also a significant increase in nitrogen-15, which is similar to that documented for early Anatomically Modern Humans compared to late Neanderthals in Europe. A shift in nitrogen-15 at the basis of terrestrial food web is responsible for such a pattern, with a preserved foodweb structure before and after the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in South-western France. Such an isotopic shift in the terrestrial ecosystem may be due to an increase of aridity during the time of deposition of the early Aurignacian layers. If it occurred across Europe, such a shift in nitrogen-15 in terrestrial foodwebs would be enough to explain the observed isotopic trend between late Neanderthals and early Anatomically Modern Humans, without any significant change in the diet composition at the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition.

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from bone collagen in skeletons from the Byzantine (5th-7th century AD) monastery of St. Stephen's in Jerusalem were examined in conjunction with a review of historical sources detailing dietary practices during this period in the Levant. Relatively low d 13 C ratios (À19.0 ± 0.5‰, 1r) indicate a diet consisting primarily of C 3 sources and display continuity with textual records describing monastic daily life. Conversely, human d 15 N values (9.6 ± 1.2‰, 1r) are enriched in 15 N relative to local fauna (7.3 ± 1.1‰, 1r) and point to the contribution of animal protein to the diet, an unexpected result based on both the rarity and expense of these luxury food items as well as dietary prohibitions associated with an ascetic monastic lifestyle. No sex-based differences in diet were detected for either d 13 C or d 15 N values, suggesting that men and women consumed isotopically similar foods. As the vast majority of monastic communities in the ancient Near East were located in the desert, the urban setting of St. Stephen's monastery allows for a unique glimpse into a rarely-explored facet of Byzantine life.

After reviewing the current knowledge on paleoecological tracking using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in fossil bones and teeth, the contribution of this new approach to key questions of Neanderthal diet and ecology is examined. In particular, the determination of ungulate habitat (open environment versus closed forest) is discussed. Thanks to the carbon and nitrogen isotopic differences observed in the main ungulates available as prey to Neanderthal of OIS 3, it is possible to evaluate quantitatively the contribution of different prey in the diet of Neanderthals. The results of this approach suggest that megaherbivores, such as mammoth and woolly rhinoceros, were the most important providers of proteins to the Neanderthal from Saint-Césaire and probably also to one Neanderthal specimen from Spy. In addition, the conclusions of zooarcheological and isotopic dietary determinations are not always in agreement, possibly due to taphonomic biases and site specialization.

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in bone collagen can provide valuable information about the diet and habitat of mammal species. However, bone collagen degrades in normal circumstances very rapidly, and isotope analyses are therefore usually restricted to fossil material with a Late Pleistocene or Holocene age. The Middle Pleistocene site of Schöningen, dated to around 300,000 years ago, yielded bones and teeth with an exceptionally good state of collagen preservation. This allowed us to measure reliable biogenic carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios for different herbivorous taxa from the families Elephantidae, Rhinocerotidae, Equidae, Cervidae, and Bovidae. The results provide insights regarding the palaeoenvironmental setting in which Middle Pleistocene hominins operated. The vegetation consumed by the herbivores from the famous spear horizon originates from open environments. During the climatic Reinsdorf Interglacial optimum, the landscape seems to have been relatively open as well, but certainly included parts that were forested. The results also indicate some niche partitioning; different herbivore species used different plant resources. For instance, the horses seem to have been predominantly browsers, while the straight-tusked elephants were feeding chiefly on grass.

We present radiometric, palaeoclimatological, palaeoenvironmental and archaeological data for the period 40 000-8000 cal BP in the Jura Mountains (eastern France). These medium-sized mountains culminate at ca 1700 m a.s.l. and are today characterised by a semi-continental climate. During the Last Glacial Maximum, the range supported a local ice cap. While recent data suggest a possible early ice-cap development during MIS 4, the chronology of the regional LGM and following deglaciation has still to be refined. The complete disappearance of the local ice cap at ca 17000-16600 cal BP marked the starting accumulation of sediment archives in the Jurassian lakes and mires, which favoured the reconstruction of past changes in climatic and environmental conditions, in addition to faunal remains found in caves and in archaeological sites. Three main successive stages may be distinguished regarding the history of societies. The first stage at ca 40000-18700 cal BP was characterized by very few archaeological sites with only discontinuous intermittent occupations always located outside the Jura range. The second stage around 18700-11700 cal BP corresponded to an increase in the population density as suggested by an increasing number of archaeological sites and a progressive colonisation of elevated areas of the Jura Mountains. The third stage at ca 11700-8000 cal BP coincided with a reinforcement of settlement in the lowland areas as well as a development of long-term occupations in elevated areas. The millennial-scale GS-1 cold event had a more long-lasting and stronger impact on societies than the 200 year-long 8.2 ka cold event.

ABSTRACT The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) was an emblematic and key species of the so-called mammoth steppe ecosystem between ca. 110,000 and 12,000 years ago. Its contribution to human subsistence during the Gravettian period as source of raw material was documented in southwestern France and southwestern Germany, with some evidence of active hunting in the latter region. However, decreasing genetic diversity and increasing indications of nutritional stress point to a likely decline of this megaherbivore. The specificity of the ecological niche occupied by the woolly mammoth is clearly reflected by their collagen 13C and 15N abundances (δ13Ccoll and δ15Ncoll), measured on skeletal remains of the typical mammoth steppe. The abundances of carbon-13 in mammoth collagen are comparable to those of other grazers like horse (Equus sp.), while the nitrogen-15 abundances are significantly higher (about 3‰) than in the other herbivores, either horse or reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). During the Aurignacian and Gravettian occupation at Geißenklösterle in the Ach Valley (Germany), the mammoths had the expected stable isotope signature, but the nitrogen-15 of horses showed an unexpected overlap with those of the mammoth. This unusual pattern was already occurring during the Aurignacian, while the oxygen-18 abundances in bone phosphate (δ18Obp) of horse and reindeer were unchanged between Aurignacian and Gravettian periods, which rules out significant change in environmental and climatic conditions. Thus, we hypothesize that during the Aurignacian and Gravettian, the ecological niche of mammoth was intact but not occupied intensively by mammoths due to a decline in their population. This decline could be tentatively explained by human pressure through hunting. In Dordogne (France), decreasing horse and reindeer δ15Ncoll values coeval to decreasing horse δ18Obp values between the Aurignacian and the Early Gravettian periods reflected a clear change in the environment, while no contrast in δ15Ncoll values was observed between the Early and Final Gravettian at the Abri Pataud. The mammoth of Dordogne yielded slightly higher δ15Ncoll values than expected, probably as a consequence of the nursing effect since all the analyzed samples were ivory instead of bone. The direct dating and sulphur-34 measurement on the ivory of the Early Gravettian at Pataud showed that almost all of them were of contemporaneous and local origin. Significant contrasts in δ34Scoll values were found between the Dordogne and the Ach Valley for the same herbivores species, which confirms the potential of sulphur-34 in collagen as a mobility tracker.

This thesis uses stable isotope analyses to examine the relationships between diet, migration, paleopathologies, and agriculture for Newtown Phase Late Woodland and Fort Ancient Turpin Phase populations from the type-site, Turpin (33Ha19), located in the lower Little Miami River Valley, Hamilton County, Ohio. Investigating the subsistence strategy and health of the people who inhabited the Turpin site is important because this is one of the earliest locations of maize agriculture in eastern North America. Therefore, the Turpin population is crucial for our understanding of the dietary and health implications of maize agriculture in the Ohio Valley. Human behavioral ecology states that as humans increase their economic reliance on maize agriculture, they decrease their mobility, increase social stratification, and increase their susceptibility to disease. Stable isotope values in human bone collagen and tooth enamel are used to determine dietary composition and mobility. Statistical analyses comparing carbon and nitrogen values among ages, sexes, and paleopathologies demonstrate that maize was a significant part of the diet (carbon values greater than -14.0‰) and that women were deficient in protein (low nitrogen values). Maize was likely consumed on a regular basis by the Fort Ancient population and made up more than 25% of the diet. With few exceptions, there is little variation in the strontium isotope levels of enamel carbonate, which is indicative of a semi-sedentary community. There is evidence that a few individuals may have migrated into the area. These immigrations may have been the result of captivity or intertribal marriage.

This article compares the results of three collagen extraction techniques applied to both well preserved modern bone and archaeological bone of varying states of preservation. It is concluded that all three produce comparable stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios although the preservation indicators may vary. As a result, the method utilized for collagen extraction should be one of practicality (i.e., available equipment) rather than concern over the accuracy of results.

) speculated that the extensive faunal intra-population isotopic variability at Danebury hillfort was due to the animals being husbanded within various ecological isozones (i.e. microenvironments with distinct natural or anthropogenic isotopic baselines) within the Danebury Environs, and subsequently brought to the hillfort. We test this hypothesis through isotopic analysis of 357 animals from five sites in the Danebury Environs (Suddern Farm, Nettlebank Copse, Houghton Down, New Buildings, Bury Hill). Our results demonstrate that the hypothesis is incorrect as the Environs animals also exhibited extensive intra-site isotopic variability. The observed patterns require considerable human management of herds and flocks, either through animal droving over long distances, or movement restriction through personal attendance or penning/corralling within a landscape containing a mosaic of isozones. Large-scale importation of animals to the Danebury sites from distant regions that have different isotopic baseline values is possible. However, the practical requirements of this model (i.e. long distance trade networks maintained in terms of frequency, proportion and source of animals over 500 years) make this improbable. Rather, we propose a model that includes distinct ecological isozones within the Danebury Environs landscape, with some animals from each of the sites consuming foodstuff from different isozones for most of their lives. This likely involves control of the landscape on a communal probably kinship basis, with individuals having access to certain parts of the landscape at certain times. The landscape could be seen as being made up of numerous interlocking activityterritories, defined in both space and time, remembered and inherited. Irrespective of which model proves to be the most accurate, these results paint a picture of complex land management during the Iron Age.

We investigated how do environmental and climatic factors, but also management, affect the carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope composition in bone collagen of the two largest contemporary herbivores: European bison (Bison bonasus) and moose (Alces alces) across Europe. We also analysed how different scenarios of population -recovery reintroduction in bison and natural recovery in moose influenced feeding habitats and diet of these two species and compared isotopic signatures of modern populations of bison and moose (living in human-altered landscapes) with those occurring in early Holocene. We found that δ13C of modern bison and moose decreased with increasing forest cover. Decreasing forest cover, increasing mean annual temperature and feeding on farm crops caused an increase in δ15N in bison, while no factor significantly affected δ15N in moose.
We showed significant differences in δ13C and δ15N among modern bison populations, in contrast to moose populations. Variation in both isotopes in bison resulted from inter-population differences, while in moose it was mainly an effect of intra-population variation. Almost all modern bison populations differed in δ13C and δ15N from early Holocene bison. Such differences were not observed in moose. It indicates refugee status of European bison. Our results yielded evidence that habitat structure, management and a different history of population recovery have a strong influence on foraging behaviour of large herbivores reflected in stable isotope signatures. Influence of forest structure on carbon isotope signatures of studied herbivores supports the ªcanopy effectº hypothesis.

We investigated the diet and environment of human and animal specimens in north-western Europe during the Late-Glacial using stable isotope abundances in bone collagen.
The climatic conditions of the Younger Dryas favoured the return of a niche partitioning between the large terrestrial herbivores.
The Younger Dryas individual of Rhünda consumed a high proportion of freshwater resources.

Palaeolithic dogs have been recognized in European sites before the LGM based on the morphological differences of their skull and lower jaw when compared to Pleistocene wolves (Germonpré et al., 2009; 2012, in press). Furthermore, carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of their bone collagen in Předmostí I, where both types of large canids occur in large numbers, showed clear dietary differences: Palaeolithic dogs fed essentially on reindeer, while coeval wolves were more diverse in their prey choice, including high amounts of mammoth in their diet (Bocherens et al. in press). The genetic analysis of the mitochondrial DNA of these canids shows that Pleistocene wolves and Palaeolithic dogs from Předmostí belong to different haplogroups, and that Palaeolithic dogs are not genetically related to post-LGM wolves and modern dogs (Thalmann et al., 2013). Interestingly, other pre-LGM Palaeolithic dogs from Belgium and Russia are genetically close to the Palaeolithic dogs from Předmostí I, and are closer genetically to pre-LGM wolves than to any of the post-LGM canids. Therefore all these Palaeolithic dogs may correspond to an early wolf domestication process that came to an end sometime before the LGM. Combining the information yielded by the different fields of research will allow us to provide an integrated understanding of the genesis and the role of these Palaeolithic dogs in early Upper Palaeolithic societies in Eurasia.

For many extinct species, direct evidence of diet (e.g. coprolites, gizzard/intestinal contents) is not available, and indirect dietary evidence (e.g. stable isotopes) must be relied upon. The Late Holocene fossil record of New Zealand provides a unique opportunity to contrast palaeodietary reconstructions for the extinct moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) using stable isotopes and coprolite/gizzard contents. Palae-odietary reconstructions from isotopes are found to contradict those based on direct dietary evidence. We discuss reasons for this and advocate, where possible, for the use of multiple lines of evidence in reconstructing the diets of extinct species.

Fossils were uncovered at prehistoric Předmostí site in Czech Republic
Scientists studied nitrogen stable isotopes in human and animal fossils
They found the culture left behind huge amounts of mammoth carcasses
Dogs ate reindeer meat, probably discarded by their Gravettian owners
The study shows how dogs were already being looked after by humans
It also confirms importance of mammoth in the prehistoric human diet

The Neandertal child from former layer 4 in Scladina cave is so far the oldest Neandertal that yielded well preserved collagen suitable for stable isotopic analysis (13C/12C, 15N/14N). Although the complexity regarding the stratigraphic origin of this specimen makes it difficult to perform a quantitative palaeodietary reconstruction, interesting conclusions could be reached. The δ13C values of herbivores found in former layers 4 and 5 in Scladina cave indicate a mixture of dense forest and open habitat, although it is not clear whether this situation reflects a real mosaic or changes of vegetation through time. Some species traditionally considered to reflect open and cold environment, such as reindeer, exhibit δ13C values indicative of dwelling in dense forest conditions while species traditionally considered to be linked to open environments such as horses exhibit δ13C values indicative of dense-forest habitat. These results exemplify the ecological flexibility of large herbivorous mammals at the beginning of the upper Pleistocene. The palaeodietary reconstruction of the Neandertal child from former layer 4 in Scladina cave points to the consumption of open environment herbivores, similarly to the majority of European Neandertal analysed so far. However, it is not possible to tell if this selection was due to the absence of dense forest herbivores when this specimen was living, or if such animals were present but not consumed.

L’enfant néandertalien de l’ancienne couche 4 de la grotte Scladina est le plus vieux spécimen de cette espèce ayant livré à ce jour du collagène bien conservé permettant l’analyse de la teneur relative en isotopes stables (13C/12C, 15N/14N). Bien que la position stratigraphique complexe de ce spécimen ne permette pas une reconstitution paléoalimentaire quantitative, des conclusions intéressantes ont pu être établies. Les valeurs de δ13C des herbivores des anciennes couches 4 et 5 de la grotte Scladina indiquent un mélange d’habitats de types ouverts et forestiers denses, sans qu’il soit possible de trancher entre une mosaïque d’habitats contemporains et une succession rapide d’habitats changeant au cours du temps. Une espèce traditionnellement considérée comme reflétant un environnement ouvert et froid, comme le renne, présente des valeurs de δ13C indiquant un habitat de type forestier dense tandis qu’une autre traditionnellement considérée comme liée à un milieu ouvert, tel le cheval, présente des valeurs de δ13C indiquant un milieu forestier dense. Ces résultats démontrent la flexibilité écologique des grands mammifères herbivores au début du Pléistocène supérieur. La reconstitution paléoalimentaire de l’enfant néandertalien de l’ancienne couche 4 de la grotte Scladina indique la consommation d’herbivores de milieu ouvert, comparable à celle de la majorité des spécimens de Néandertaliens d’Europe analysés à ce jour. Il n’est cependant pas possible de déterminer si cette sélection est due à l’absence d’herbivores de forêt dense au moment où vivait ce Néandertalien, ou si de tels animaux étaient effectivement présents mais non consommés.