Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zhikun Ma, Shu Liu, Zhao Li, Maolin Ye, Xiujia Huan
Summary: The diet of prehistoric humans in the Qijia period was influenced by dry agriculture and food globalization, with the main staple being millet. However, they also consumed a variety of other plants, possibly foraged rather than grown. The lower proportion of foraged plants at the Lajia site compared to other contemporaneous sites may be due to the arid environment, leading to a greater reliance on millet cultivation and hunting.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Alexandra M. Greenwald, Gregory R. Burns, Jelmer W. Eerkens, Eric J. Bartelink
Summary: Stable isotope analysis is used to reconstruct diet and compare differences between individuals and populations. However, aggregating individuals may create confusion between temporal and population scales, artificially inflating dietary variability for certain populations.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Iuri Icaro, Inmaculada Aleman, Joan Viciano
Summary: This study uses stable-isotope analysis to investigate the diets of ancient populations in Opi Val Fondillo and Sulmona S. Lucia, Italy, during the Vth and VIth centuries BCE. The analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in rib fragments provides insights into dietary habits and environmental changes over time.
Article
Geography, Physical
Luciano Varela, Lucia Clavijo, P. Sebastian Tambusso, Richard A. Farina
Summary: Stable isotope analysis is a valuable tool for understanding the paleoecology and paleodiet of fossil mammals. By studying the stable isotope composition of fossil bones from a site in southern Uruguay, researchers found that the herbivorous species in the area consumed a high proportion of C-3 plants, indicating a dry environment. The results also suggest niche partitioning among different species.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Jennifer N. Leichliter, Tina Ludecke, Alan D. Foreman, Nicolas N. Duprey, Daniela E. Winkler, Emma R. Kast, Hubert Vonhof, Daniel M. Sigman, Gerald H. Haug, Marcus Clauss, Thomas Tutken, Alfredo Martinez-Garcia
Summary: Nitrogen isotope ratios are useful for studying animal dietary and trophic behavior. By applying a novel oxidation-denitrification method, delta N-15 values can now be measured in tooth enamel, providing a new dietary proxy for investigating food webs and trophic ecology.
Article
Environmental Sciences
C. Heredia, S. Guedron, D. Point, V Perrot, S. Campillo, C. Verin, M. E. Espinoza, P. Fernandez, C. Duwig, D. Acha
Summary: Cultural eutrophication is a major cause of water quality degradation worldwide. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes are simple and integrative tools for evaluating the degree of eutrophication in anthropogenically impacted aquatic ecosystems. The study found that carbon isotopes increased and nitrogen isotopes decreased with distance from the wastewater source in macrophytes and suspended particulate matter. The distribution of aquatic plants on the slope was influenced by both anthropogenic discharges and carbon uptake pathway. A binary mixing model allowed the assessment of anthropogenically derived carbon and nitrogen incorporation in macrophytes. Eutrophication was naturally attenuated within 6 to 8 km from the wastewater source.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Micha Horacek, Wolfgang Papesch
Summary: The isotope composition of vegetables may change after harvest during storage, which needs to be taken into account when investigating (commercial) samples collected in a market.
FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ronald Amundson, Jennifer V. Mills, Laura N. Lammers, Matti Barthel, Nora Gallarotti, Johan Six, Gerhard Gebauer, Greg E. Maurer
Summary: The stable isotopes of nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) in soil and soil-respired N2O are being measured, but there is a lack of theoretical framework to interpret the data. This study uses a diffusion/reaction model to demonstrate how soil processes influence the profiles and fluxes of soil N2O and its isotopes. The results suggest that the isotope composition of soil N2O flux is dependent on the net flux rate and the difference in isotope composition between the atmosphere and the biological source.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Leticia Morgana Mueller, Renato Kipnis, Mariane Pereira Ferreira, Sara Marzo, Bianca Fiedler, Mary Lucas, Jana Ilgner, Hilton P. Silva, Patrick Roberts
Summary: This study analyzes stable isotopes in human and animal remains from the Volta Grande do Rio Xingu region to investigate the diets of pre-Columbian populations in the Amazon Basin. The results indicate that people in different areas and time periods primarily consumed C-3 plants, wild terrestrial fauna, and aquatic resources, with varying levels of integration of C-4 plants. The study also highlights regional adaptations to local watercourses and forest types in the Amazon Basin, based on a comparison with other datasets.
Article
Anthropology
Ingrid Chanca, Caroline Borges, Andre Carlo Colonese, Kita Macario, Alice Toso, Maria Fontanals-Coll, Roberto dos Anjos, Marcelo Muniz, Renan Pereira, Sahra Talamo, Rafael Guedes Milheira
Summary: This study reconstructed the paleodiet of earthen-mound builders from southern Patos Lagoon (Brazil) using bulk collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes analysis combined with Bayesian Stable Isotope Mixing Models. The results revealed variable subsistence strategies with some individuals relying heavily on marine/estuarine protein while others on terrestrial/freshwater resources. The study highlights the resource-rich aquatic environment in southeastern South America as a facilitator for mixed economies and shows a remarkable intra-site dietary variability in the Patos Lagoon surroundings.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yu Dong, Xiaoguang Bi, Rubi Wu, Eric J. Belfield, Nicholas P. Harberd, Bent T. Christensen, Mike Charles, Amy Bogaard
Summary: This study evaluates the feasibility of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis on C-4 millets, showing that stable nitrogen isotope values can be used to identify manuring practices and both carbon and nitrogen isotope values can provide information for palaeodietary reconstruction.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Leiru Chen, Zhengyu Wen, Ruoyong Yin, Pengfei Deng, Yu Gao, Hui Xu, Xiaoniu Xu
Summary: Anthropogenic activities have increased nitrogen deposition and N availability, potentially exacerbating phosphorus deficiency in subtropical forests. The effects of N and N + P additions on SOC turnover in these forests are crucial for understanding the global C cycle. This study aimed to confirm whether N and N + P additions accelerate or slow down SOC turnover in subtropical forests.
Article
Anthropology
Maire A. Malone, Laura M. MacLatchy, John C. Mitani, Robert Kityo, John D. Kingston
Summary: This study calculated an enamel-diet enrichment factor for chimpanzees and applied it to reassess dietary reconstructions of fossil hominin species, revealing a significant contribution of C-13-enriched resources in ancient human diets. The findings emphasize the importance of determining appropriate enrichment factors for accurate dietary reconstructions and standardizing tooth enamel sampling protocols in isotopic paleodietary studies.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Santrupta Samantaray, Prasanta Sanyal
Summary: The study revealed that despite the high salinity conditions in the lagoon, autochthonous production remains stable, with nitrogen isotope values mainly coming from sewage and fertilizer inputs. Additionally, the impact of wind activity and nutrient re-cycling on productivity cannot be underestimated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Corey R. Lawrence, Marjorie S. Schulz, Caroline A. Masiello, Oliver A. Chadwick, Jennifer W. Harden
Summary: The amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) associated with soil minerals exhibits a threshold relationship with effective soil moisture, leading to variations in SOC storage mechanisms in soils from different chronosequence sites. Differences in effective soil moisture drive divergent pedogenic trajectories, resulting in variations in the form and depth distribution of secondary weathering products. Clay-rich argillic horizons and amorphous secondary minerals accumulate under different moisture conditions, influencing the dynamics of SOC storage and preservation.
Article
Anthropology
Julia Becher, Alex Schoeman, Gavin Whitelaw, Stephen Buckley, Jean-Pierre Celliers, Sara Cafisso, Matthias Belser, Maxime Rageot, Cynthianne Spiteri
Summary: This study represents the first application of Organic Residue Analysis (ORA) to southern African early farming pottery to gain a deeper understanding of past human behavior and subsistence patterns. The study found evidence of dairy processing and multi-purpose functionality of the ceramics. It also discovered potential medicinal use and the involvement of dung in pottery sealing and mending.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Jon Clindaniel, Matthew Magnani
Summary: Large sources of digital trace data have become important in the study of material culture. The authors introduce a computational method to observe digital formation processes and highlight the importance of accounting for these processes in studies utilizing digital trace data.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Rebecca A. G. Reid, Miranda M. E. Jans, Lesley A. Chesson, Rebecca J. Taylor, Gregory E. Berg
Summary: Chemical treatment of skeletal remains can reduce overall DNA quality and quantity but has no significant impact on stable isotope ratio analysis. Examination of treated and untreated human remains through histological and stable isotope analysis reveals that treated remains exhibit better preservation compared to untreated remains. Stable isotope ratio analysis is viable for both treated and untreated remains, regardless of their origin.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Laura Tome, Eneko Iriartec, Antonio Blanco-Gonzalez, Margarita Jambrina-Enriquez, Natalia Eguez, Antonio V. Herrera-Herrera, Carolina Mallola
Summary: This paper presents the outcomes of a microcontextual geoarchaeological study conducted on earthen dwellings from the Early Iron Age village of Cerro de San Vicente. The study employed soil micromorphology, lipid biomarker analysis, XRD, and XRF analyses to investigate various aspects of the dwellings, including construction materials, site formation processes, and daily life practices. The results have shed light on the construction layers, floor use, maintenance, repaving, periods of abandonment and decay, and the presence of lipid biomarkers associated with dwelling functionality. The study significantly contributes to our understanding of ancient construction practices and the utilization of domestic spaces during the Early Iron Age.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)