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Sánchez-Cañadillas E, Beaumont J, Santana-Cabrera J, Gorton M, Arnay-de-la-Rosa M. The early lives of the islanders: Stable isotope analysis of incremental dentine collagen from the prehispanic period of the Canary Islands. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:300-317. [PMID: 37530169 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study presents isotopic information for incremental dentine collagen and bone bulk collagen from individuals from the Canary Islands (Tenerife and Gran Canaria) to explore dietary differences during childhood life. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eight individuals have been studied, which comprises 122 δ15 N and δ13 C incremental dentine measurements and eight bulk bone collagen analyses. A baseline of potentially consumed food sources has been developed for comparative purposes. A food reconstruction using isotopic transferred signals (FRUITS) model of probable contributions of each food source towards the diet of each individual has been developed. All samples but one belongs to the later period of indigenous occupation of the archipelago. RESULTS The dentine collagen data are presented in correlated δ13 C and δ15 N plots per individual, showing the isotopic changes throughout time. δ15 N values for each individual tend to be variable whereas δ13 C data are generally more stable with a range of +9.1 to +14‰ for δ15 N and -17.4 to -20.8‰ for δ13 C. CONCLUSION The isotopic analysis allows for the reconstruction of eight dietary profiles, which allow us to estimate the different dietary protein sources. The FRUITS model shows different percentages of the primary food sources for each individual. Where both δ13 C and δ15 N are elevated, this could be indicative of a higher marine contribution to the diet. There appear to be two main dietary profiles identifiable in the dataset and these may be related to changes in status or place of residence. Short-term variations in δ13 C and δ15 N and opposing co-variance of isotopic values can be indicative of nutritional stress, although metabolic changes during growth are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elías Sánchez-Cañadillas
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Unidad de Docencia e Investigación de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristobal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Históricas, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Julia Beaumont
- School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
| | - Jonathan Santana-Cabrera
- Departamento de Ciencias Históricas, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Marise Gorton
- School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
| | - Matilde Arnay-de-la-Rosa
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Unidad de Docencia e Investigación de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristobal de La Laguna, Spain
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Fernandes DM, Sirak KA, Cheronet O, Novak M, Brück F, Zelger E, Llanos-Lizcano A, Wagner A, Zettl A, Mandl K, Duffet Carlson KS, Oberreiter V, Özdoğan KT, Sawyer S, La Pastina F, Borgia E, Coppa A, Dobeš M, Velemínský P, Reich D, Bell LS, Pinhasi R. Density separation of petrous bone powders for optimized ancient DNA yields. Genome Res 2023; 33:622-631. [PMID: 37072186 PMCID: PMC10234301 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277714.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
Density separation is a process routinely used to segregate minerals, organic matter, and even microplastics, from soils and sediments. Here we apply density separation to archaeological bone powders before DNA extraction to increase endogenous DNA recovery relative to a standard control extraction of the same powders. Using nontoxic heavy liquid solutions, we separated powders from the petrous bones of 10 individuals of similar archaeological preservation into eight density intervals (2.15 to 2.45 g/cm3, in 0.05 increments). We found that the 2.30 to 2.35 g/cm3 and 2.35 to 2.40 g/cm3 intervals yielded up to 5.28-fold more endogenous unique DNA than the corresponding standard extraction (and up to 8.53-fold before duplicate read removal), while maintaining signals of ancient DNA authenticity and not reducing library complexity. Although small 0.05 g/cm3 intervals may maximally optimize yields, a single separation to remove materials with a density above 2.40 g/cm3 yielded up to 2.57-fold more endogenous DNA on average, which enables the simultaneous separation of samples that vary in preservation or in the type of material analyzed. While requiring no new ancient DNA laboratory equipment and fewer than 30 min of extra laboratory work, the implementation of density separation before DNA extraction can substantially boost endogenous DNA yields without decreasing library complexity. Although subsequent studies are required, we present theoretical and practical foundations that may prove useful when applied to other ancient DNA substrates such as teeth, other bones, and sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Fernandes
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria;
- CIAS, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences Forschungsverbund, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kendra A Sirak
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Olivia Cheronet
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences Forschungsverbund, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mario Novak
- Centre for Applied Bioanthropology, Institute for Anthropological Research, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Florian Brück
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Evelyn Zelger
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Anna Wagner
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Zettl
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kirsten Mandl
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kellie Sara Duffet Carlson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences Forschungsverbund, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Victoria Oberreiter
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences Forschungsverbund, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kadir T Özdoğan
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of History and Art History, Utrecht University, 3512 BS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Susanna Sawyer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Francesco La Pastina
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, United Kingdom
| | - Emanuela Borgia
- Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Antichità, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Alfredo Coppa
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences Forschungsverbund, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Miroslav Dobeš
- Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 118 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Velemínský
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum, Prague 115 79, Czech Republic
| | - David Reich
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Lynne S Bell
- Centre for Forensic Research, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Ron Pinhasi
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria;
- Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences Forschungsverbund, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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Simpson R, Cooper DML, Swanston T, Coulthard I, Varney TL. Historical overview and new directions in bioarchaeological trace element analysis: a review. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2021; 13:24. [PMID: 33520004 PMCID: PMC7810633 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-020-01262-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Given their strong affinity for the skeleton, trace elements are often stored in bones and teeth long term. Diet, geography, health, disease, social status, activity, and occupation are some factors which may cause differential exposure to, and uptake of, trace elements, theoretically introducing variability in their concentrations and/or ratios in the skeleton. Trace element analysis of bioarchaeological remains has the potential, therefore, to provide rich insights into past human lifeways. This review provides a historical overview of bioarchaeological trace element analysis and comments on the current state of the discipline by highlighting approaches with growing momentum. Popularity for the discipline surged following preliminary studies in the 1960s to 1970s that demonstrated the utility of strontium (Sr) as a dietary indicator. During the 1980s, Sr/Ca ratio and multi-element studies were commonplace in bioarchaeology, linking trace elements with dietary phenomena. Interest in using trace elements for bioarchaeological inferences waned following a period of critiques in the late 1980s to 1990s that argued the discipline failed to account for diagenesis, simplified complex element uptake and regulation processes, and used several unsuitable elements for palaeodietary reconstruction (e.g. those under homeostatic regulation, those without a strong affinity for the skeleton). In the twenty-first century, trace element analyses have been primarily restricted to Sr and lead (Pb) isotope analysis and the study of toxic trace elements, though small pockets of bioarchaeology have continued to analyse multiple elements. Techniques such as micro-sampling, element mapping, and non-traditional stable isotope analysis have provided novel insights which hold the promise of helping to overcome limitations faced by the discipline. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12520-020-01262-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Simpson
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK Canada
- Present Address: Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - David M. L. Cooper
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK Canada
| | - Treena Swanston
- Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | | | - Tamara L. Varney
- Department of Anthropology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON Canada
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Twining CW, Taipale SJ, Ruess L, Bec A, Martin-Creuzburg D, Kainz MJ. Stable isotopes of fatty acids: current and future perspectives for advancing trophic ecology. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190641. [PMID: 32536315 PMCID: PMC7333957 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand consumer dietary requirements and resource use across ecosystems, researchers have employed a variety of methods, including bulk stable isotope and fatty acid composition analyses. Compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) of fatty acids combines both of these tools into an even more powerful method with the capacity to broaden our understanding of food web ecology and nutritional dynamics. Here, we provide an overview of the potential that CSIA studies hold and their constraints. We first review the use of fatty acid CSIA in ecology at the natural abundance level as well as enriched physiological tracers, and highlight the unique insights that CSIA of fatty acids can provide. Next, we evaluate methodological best practices when generating and interpreting CSIA data. We then introduce three cutting-edge methods: hydrogen CSIA of fatty acids, and fatty acid isotopomer and isotopologue analyses, which are not yet widely used in ecological studies, but hold the potential to address some of the limitations of current techniques. Finally, we address future priorities in the field of CSIA including: generating more data across a wider range of taxa; lowering costs and increasing laboratory availability; working across disciplinary and methodological boundaries; and combining approaches to answer macroevolutionary questions. This article is part of the theme issue 'The next horizons for lipids as 'trophic biomarkers': evidence and significance of consumer modification of dietary fatty acids'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia W. Twining
- Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Sami J. Taipale
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Liliane Ruess
- Institute of Biology, Ecology Group, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandre Bec
- University Clermont Auvergne, 63178 Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Toyne JM, Turner BL. Linking isotope analysis and paleopathology: An andean perspective. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2020; 29:117-127. [PMID: 32507722 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2019.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This paper reviews the significant advances in isotopic investigations in Andean South America and directs scholars to explore new theoretical and analytical directions, specifically the applicability of isotope data to paleopathology. Excellent preservation and large skeletal collections of human remains make the Central Andes ideal for biogeochemical reconstructions and advancements in isotopic methods. Our aims are twofold: first, we present a meta-analysis of stable and radiogenic isotope research in the Central Andes since 1985, and highlight those that combine analyses of isotope ratios and pathological conditions. Second, we discuss useful directions for incorporating stable isotope analysis more explicitly in studies of paleopathology in the Andes more in the future. Principle research foci have described dietary variation and regional population mobility since the 1980s, where early methodological explorations identified significant trends in isotopic variation. For the years 1980-2017, we identified 96 scholarly publications through a meta-data analysis of major peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings. These demonstrate specific trends in topical and methodological preferences across the Andean region and a shift from 10 publications pre-1997 to 67 in the last 10 years. However, combined isotope and paleopathology studies in this region remain sparse; given the ecological, geological, and cultural complexity of the Central Andes, analyses of pathological conditions in different regions would significantly benefit from the information on diet, mobility, and local ecology that isotope ratios provide. Isotope analysis requires destruction of archaeological tissues, and interpreting isotope data can be complex, but it can also provide unique insights into the pathogenesis of multifactorial conditions and assist differential diagnosis. Therefore, we also discuss research designs for pairing isotopic and paleopathological variables that will allow researchers to better capture disease ecologies in archaeological samples and their variation across different regions, within related sites, and within individual lifespans.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Marla Toyne
- Department of Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32803-1631, United States.
| | - Bethany L Turner
- Department of Anthropology, Georgia State University, PO Box 3998, Atlanta, GA 30302-3998, United States.
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Redfern RC, DeWitte SN, Beaumont J, Millard AR, Hamlin C. A new method for investigating the relationship between diet and mortality: hazard analysis using dietary isotopes. Ann Hum Biol 2019; 46:378-387. [PMID: 31475587 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2019.1662484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Background: The population of Roman Britain are renowned for having elevated nitrogen (δ15) stable isotope values, which have been interpreted as evidence for the increased consumption of marine products. However, such results are now understood to also reflect episodes of stress and disease, suggesting that new interpretations are warranted.Aim: To test a novel approach which combines hazard mortality analysis and stable isotope data to determine whether there is a relationship between age-at-death, elevated δ15N values and mortality risk.Subjects and methods: This study used published osteological and dietary stable isotope data for nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) of 659 1st-5th century AD individuals aged >12 years old excavated from Roman cemeteries in Britain. The relationship between diet and mortality risk was assessed using the Gompertz hazard model, and differences in median reported isotope values between the sexes was determined using a Mann Whitney test.Results: It was discovered that higher δ15N levels are associated with elevated risks of mortality, whereas the opposite pattern was observed for δ13C, and males had higher median δ13C and δ15N values.Conclusion: This study successfully demonstrated that stable isotope data can be integrated into hazard models, allowing one to connect diet and mortality in past populations. It supports the findings of other isotope studies which have established that individuals with childhood stress/trauma will have different isotope patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Redfern
- Centre for Human Bioarchaeology, Museum of London, London, UK
| | - S N DeWitte
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - J Beaumont
- School of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
| | - A R Millard
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, UK
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Xia Y, Zhang J, Yu F, Zhang H, Wang T, Hu Y, Fuller BT. Breastfeeding, weaning, and dietary practices during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1122-771 BC) at Boyangcheng, Anhui Province, China. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 165:343-352. [PMID: 29131307 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Here we investigate breastfeeding and weaning practices and adult dietary habits at the Western Zhou Dynasty (1122-771 BC) site of Boyangcheng () located in Anhui Province, China. In addition, we utilize the differences in bone collagen turnover rates between rib and long bones from the same individual to examine past life histories, such as changes in diet or residence. MATERIALS AND METHODS Bone collagen from both the rib and long bones (either femora or humeri) of 42 individuals was measured for stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13 C) and nitrogen (δ15 N). In addition, δ13 C and δ15 N values are reported for 35 animals (dogs, cows, horses, pigs, and deer). RESULTS The human δ13 C values range from -20.7‰ to -12.0‰ with a mean value of -18.8 ± 1.6‰. The human δ15 N values range from 9.1‰ to 13.4‰ with a mean value of 10.9 ± 1.0‰. The animals display a wide range of δ13 C (-21.5‰ to -8.2‰; -15.8 ± 4.5‰) and δ15 N values (4.0‰ to 9.5‰; 6.5 ± 1.8‰). CONCLUSIONS The adult δ13 C and δ15 N results indicate that mixed C3 (rice) and C4 (millet) terrestrial diets with varying levels of animal protein (mostly pigs and deer) were consumed. The elevated subadult δ15 N results return to adult levels by approximately 3-4 years of age, indicating that the weaning process was completed during this period. Individuals between 2 and 10 years old, with lower δ13 C and δ15 N results than the adult mean, possibly consumed more plant-based diets, and this is consistent with Chinese medical teachings ∼1500 years later during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). The isotopic offsets between the ribs and long bones revealed that five adults experienced dramatic dietary shifts in their later lives, switching from predominately C3 /C4 to C3 diets. This research provides the first isotopic information about ancient Chinese breastfeeding and weaning practices and establishes a foundation for future studies to examine diachronic trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xia
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.,Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jinglei Zhang
- Department of History, University of Nanjing, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Fei Yu
- Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology of Anhui Province, Hefei 230061, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Institute of Cultural Relics of Chuzhou, Chuzhou 239000, China
| | - Tingting Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.,Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaowu Hu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.,Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Benjamin T Fuller
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Reitsema LJ, Vercellotti G, Boano R. Subadult dietary variation at Trino Vercellese, Italy, and its relationship to adult diet and mortality. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 160:653-64. [PMID: 27100777 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Early-life nutrition is a predisposing factor for later-life outcomes. This study tests the hypothesis that subadults from medieval Trino Vercellese, Italy, who lived to adulthood consumed isotopically different diets compared with subadults who died before reaching adulthood. We have previously used a life history approach, comparing dentine and bone of the same adult individuals ("subadults who lived"), to elucidate dietary variation across the life span. Here, we examine diets of "subadults who died" from the same population, estimated from subadult rib collagen, to explore whether dietary behaviors of subadults who lived differed from those of subadults who died. METHODS Forty-one subadults aged six months to 14.5 years were studied through stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of collagen. RESULTS Individuals were weaned by age 4 years, with considerable variation in weaning ages overall. Post-weaning, diets of subadults who died comprised significantly less animal protein than diets of subadults who lived. Isotopic values of the two oldest individuals, 13.5 and 14.5 years, show the same status-based variation in diet as do adults from the population. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that incorporating animal protein in diet during growth and development supported medieval subadults' ability to survive to adulthood. Isotopic similarities between adults and older subadults suggest "adult" dietary behaviors were adopted in adolescence. Stable isotope evidence from subadults bridges a disparity between ontogenetic age categories and socioculturally meaningful age categories in the past, and sheds light on the underpinnings of health, mortality, growth, and disease in the bioarchaeological record. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:653-664, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie J Reitsema
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602
| | | | - Rosa Boano
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, 10123, Italy
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9
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Agarwal SC. Bone morphologies and histories: Life course approaches in bioarchaeology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:S130-49. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina C. Agarwal
- Department of Anthropology; University of California Berkeley; Berkeley CA 94720-3710
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TSUTAYA TAKUMI, MIYAMOTO HIROSHI, UNO HIKARU, OMORI TAKAYUKI, GAKUHARI TAKASHI, INAHARA AKIYOSHI, NAGAOKA TOMOHITO, ABE MIKIKO, YONEDA MINORU. From cradle to grave: multi-isotopic investigations on the life history of a higher-status female from Edo-period Japan. ANTHROPOL SCI 2016. [DOI: 10.1537/ase.161029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- TAKUMI TSUTAYA
- Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa
| | | | - HIKARU UNO
- National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba
| | | | - TAKASHI GAKUHARI
- College of Human and Social Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa
| | | | - TOMOHITO NAGAOKA
- Department of Anatomy, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki
| | - MIKIKO ABE
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka
| | - MINORU YONEDA
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo
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11
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Dainowski BH, Duffy LK, McIntyre J, Jones P. Hair and bone as predictors of tissular mercury concentration in the western Alaska red fox, Vulpes vulpes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 518-519:526-33. [PMID: 25777958 PMCID: PMC4404022 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated if total mercury (THg) concentrations of keratin-based and bone-based tissues can predict THg concentrations in skeletal muscle, renal medulla, renal cortex, and liver. The THg concentration in matched tissues of 65 red foxes, Vulpes vulpes, from western Alaska was determined. Hair THg concentration had a significant positive correlation with liver, renal medulla, renal cortex, and muscle. The THg concentration for males and females is moderately predictive of THg concentration in the renal cortex and liver for these foxes based on R(2) values (R(2)=0.61 and 0.63, respectively). Bone is weakly predictive of THg concentration in muscle (R(2)=0.40), but not a reliable tissue to predict THg concentration in liver (R(2)=0.24), renal cortex (R(2)=0.35), or renal medulla (R(2)=0.25). These results confirm the potential use of trapped animals, specifically foxes, as useful Arctic sentinel species to inform researchers about patterns in THg levels over time as industrialization of the Arctic continues.
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Affiliation(s)
- B H Dainowski
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, United States; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, United States.
| | - L K Duffy
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, United States; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, United States.
| | - J McIntyre
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, United States.
| | - P Jones
- Alaksa Department of Fish and Game, Bethel, AK 99559, United States
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12
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Kumar AA, Walz JA, Gonidec M, Mace CR, Whitesides GM. Combining Step Gradients and Linear Gradients in Density. Anal Chem 2015; 87:6158-64. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b00763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jenna A. Walz
- Department
of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | | | - Charles R. Mace
- Department
of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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Tsutaya T, Yoneda M. Reconstruction of breastfeeding and weaning practices using stable isotope and trace element analyses: A review. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 156 Suppl 59:2-21. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Tsutaya
- Department of Integrated Biosciences; Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo; Kashiwanoha 5-1-5 Kashiwa Chiba 277-8562 Japan
| | - Minoru Yoneda
- Department of Integrated Biosciences; Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo; Kashiwanoha 5-1-5 Kashiwa Chiba 277-8562 Japan
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo; Hongo 7-3-1 Bunkyo Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
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Reitsema LJ. Beyond diet reconstruction: stable isotope applications to human physiology, health, and nutrition. Am J Hum Biol 2013; 25:445-56. [PMID: 23784719 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2012] [Revised: 02/28/2013] [Accepted: 03/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes from soft or mineralized tissues is a direct and widely-used technique for modeling diets. In addition to its continued role in paleodiet analysis, stable isotope analysis is now contributing to studies of physiology, disease, and nutrition in archaeological and living human populations. In humans and other animals, dietary uptake and distribution of carbon and nitrogen among mineralized and soft tissue is carried out with varying efficiency due to factors of internal biology. Human pathophysiologies may lead to pathology-influenced isotopic fractionation that can be exploited to understand not just skeletal health and diet, but physiological health and nutrition. This study reviews examples from human biology, non-human animal ecology, biomedicine, and bioarchaeology demonstrating how stable isotope analyses are usefully applied to the study of physiological adaptation and adaptability. Suggestions are made for future directions in applying stable isotope analysis to the study of nutritional stress, disease, and growth and development in living and past human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie J Reitsema
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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Reitsema LJ. Beyond diet reconstruction: Stable isotope applications to human physiology, health, and nutrition. Am J Hum Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/aajhb.22398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Laurie J. Reitsema
- Department of Anthropology; University of Georgia; Athens; Georgia; 30602
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Critique: measuring hydrogen stable isotope abundance of proteins to infer origins of wildlife, food and people. Bioanalysis 2013; 5:751-67. [DOI: 10.4155/bio.13.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Measurement of the relative abundance of 2H (expressed in δ 2H values) in tissues of plants, wildlife and people has evolved into a powerful forensic tool. The approach is based on the strong linkage between spatial patterns of δ 2H values in precipitation at local and continental scales, and the tissues of plants and animals produced on these ‘isoscapes’. Unfortunately, despite this exciting potential, difficulties inherent in the measurement of δ 2H values in complex organic materials such as proteins, as well as the accuracy of such measurements, and a reluctance to adopt strict quality assurance/QC approaches to address challenges associated with these measurements, has clearly limited this potential. These challenges are entirely avoidable and techniques now exist for the routine reliable measurement of δ 2H values in materials of forensic interest that will allow completely comparable data among laboratories.
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Beaumont J, Geber J, Powers N, Wilson A, Lee-Thorp J, Montgomery J. Victims and survivors: Stable isotopes used to identify migrants from the Great Irish Famine to 19th century London. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 150:87-98. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2012] [Accepted: 09/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Reitsema LJ, Vercellotti G. Stable isotope evidence for sex- and status-based variations in diet and life history at medieval Trino Vercellese, Italy. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 148:589-600. [PMID: 22553011 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Accepted: 03/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The medieval period in Europe was a time of unprecedented social complexity that affected human diet. The diets of certain subgroups-for example, children, women, and the poor-are chronically underrepresented in historical sources from the medieval period. To better understand diet and the distribution of foods during the medieval period, we investigated stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of 30 individuals from Trino Vercellese, Northern Italy (8th-13th c.). Specifically, we examined diet differences between subgroups (males and females, and high- and low-status individuals), and diet change throughout the life course among these groups by comparing dentine and bone collagen. Our results show a diet based on terrestrial resources with input from C(4) plants, which could include proso and/or foxtail millet. Diets of low-status males differ from those of females (both status groups) and of high-status males. These differences develop in adulthood. Childhood diets are similar among the subgroups, but sex- and status-based differences appear in adulthood. We discuss the possibility of cultural buffering and dietary selectivity of females and high-status individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie J Reitsema
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, 30602, USA.
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Bell LS. Identifying postmortem microstructural change to skeletal and dental tissues using backscattered electron imaging. Methods Mol Biol 2012; 915:173-90. [PMID: 22907409 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-977-8_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A number of papers have been published over a 100 year period describing postmortem microstructural change to bone and teeth in humans and other mammals. Much of the work is descriptive and has used a number of microscopic methods, which introduce changes during preparation, and are limited by the resolving power of that technique. Backscattered electron imaging in a scanning electron microscope (BSE/SEM) has been used successfully applied to on normal skeletal tissues and is an excellent method to document postmortem changes to bone and tooth microstructure. In forensic science, archaeology, and paleontology there is a collective interest in understanding early death history and subsequent treatment and deposition of the body. To this end the main microstructural changes are provided as a means of identification, and practical suggestions to circumvent misinterpretation due to artifacts created by employing the BSE imaging method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne S Bell
- School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
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Waters-Rist AL, Bazaliiskii VI, Weber AW, Katzenberg MA. Infant and child diet in Neolithic hunter-fisher-gatherers from cis-baikal, Siberia: Intra-long bone stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2011; 146:225-41. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2010] [Accepted: 05/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Skinner M, Clegg L, Congram D, Katzenberg A, Lazenby R, Mundorff A, Peckmann T, Spence M, Stratton S, Waterhouse K. Taking the Pulse of Forensic Anthropology in Canada. CANADIAN SOCIETY OF FORENSIC SCIENCE JOURNAL 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/00085030.2010.10768136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Bell LS, Kayser M, Jones C. The mineralized osteocyte: A living fossil. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2008; 137:449-56. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Abstract
This review brings together a complex and extensive literature to address the question of whether it is possible to distinguish human from nonhuman bone using the histological appearance of cortical bone. The mammalian species included are rat, hare, badger, racoon dog, cat, dog, pig, cow, goat, sheep, deer, horse, water buffalo, bear, nonhuman primates, and human and are therefore not exhaustive, but cover those mammals that may contribute to a North American or Eurasian forensic assemblage. The review has demonstrated that differentiation of human from certain nonhuman species is possible, including small mammals exhibiting Haversian bone tissue and large mammals exhibiting plexiform bone tissue. Pig, cow, goat, sheep, horse, and water buffalo exhibit both plexiform and Haversian bone tissue and where only Haversian bone tissue exists in bone fragments, differentiation of these species from humans is not possible. Other primate Haversian bone tissue is also not distinguishable from humans. Where differentiation using Haversian bone tissue is undertaken, both the general microstructural appearance and measurements of histological structures should be applied. Haversian system diameter and Haversian canal diameter are the most optimal and diagnostic measurements to use. Haversian system density may be usefully applied to provide an upper and lower limit for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria L Hillier
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6
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Bell L, Lee-Thorp J, Dobney K. Mapping Human Movement using Stable Oxygen Isotopic Ratio Mass Spectrometry: Potential Application to Forensic Science Demonstrated by a Modern Horse-Human Study. CANADIAN SOCIETY OF FORENSIC SCIENCE JOURNAL 2006. [DOI: 10.1080/00085030.2006.10757136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Fairweather-Tait SJ. Human nutrition and food research: opportunities and challenges in the post-genomic era. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2004; 358:1709-27. [PMID: 14561328 PMCID: PMC1693270 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2003.1377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Sequencing of the human genome has opened the door to the most exciting new era for nutritional science. It is now possible to study the underlying mechanisms for diet-health relationships, and in the near future dietary advice (and possibly tailored food products) for promoting optimal health could be provided on an individual basis, in relation to genotype and lifestyle. The role of food in human evolution is briefly reviewed, from palaeolithic times to modern-day hunter-gatherer societies. The aetiology of 'diseases of modern civilization', such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and the effect of changes in dietary patterns are discussed. The risk of disease is often associated with common single nucleotide polymorphisms, but the effect is dependent on dietary intake and nutritional status, and is often more apparent in intervention studies employing a metabolic challenge. To understand the link between diet and health, nutritional research must cover a broad range of areas, from molecular to whole body studies, and is an excellent example of integrative biology, requiring a systems biology approach. The annual cost to the National Health Service of diet-related diseases is estimated to be in excess of 15 billion, and although diet is a key component of any preventative strategy, it is not given the prominence it deserves. For example, less than 1% of the pound 1.6 billion budget for coronary heart disease is spent on prevention. The polygenic and multifactorial nature of chronic diseases requires substantial resources but the potential rewards, in terms of quality of life and economics, are enormous. It is timely therefore to consider investing in a long-term coordinated national programme for nutrition research, combining nutritional genomics with established approaches, to improve the health of individuals and of the nation.
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