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Clark CT, Yang P, Halden N, Ferguson SH, Matthews CJD. Patterns of trace element deposition in beluga whale teeth reflect early life history. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 340:139938. [PMID: 37634591 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139938] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Determination of trace element concentrations in continuously growing biological structures such as otoliths, whiskers, and teeth can provide important insight into physiological and ontogenetic processes. We examined concentrations of 11 trace elements (Li, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Cs, Ba, Pb) in the annual dentine growth layer groups (GLGs) of teeth of 66 Eastern Canadian Arctic belugas (Delphinapterus leucas). Several of these trace elements displayed clear and consistent patterns in early life, though few longer term trends or signals were present in trace element data for either females or males. Large changes in Sr and Ba concentrations in fetal dentine reflected in utero shifts in element deposition in the teeth of developing belugas. Marked changes in these elements during the first years after birth were likely associated with the onset of nursing and subsequent weaning. Mg, Mn, and Zn also displayed clear and consistent patterns in early life that correlated strongly with dentine stable nitrogen isotope (δ15N) data, suggesting these elements merit further study as potential tools for studying nursing and weaning. Depositional patterns of Zn and Pb, which have been linked to sexual maturation in female Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), were inconsistent in beluga teeth. Some individuals (including males) displayed patterns strongly resembling those observed in female walruses, whereas many animals did not, perhaps because they had not yet reached sexual maturity. The lack of clear patterns in trace element deposition after the first few years of life may have resulted from pooling samples from multiple populations/regions collected across more than two decades, but may also indicate that elemental concentrations are primarily driven by other, extrinsic processes later in life, and might be useful as biomonitors of environmental element concentrations or tools for delineating population structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey T Clark
- Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, Olympia, WA, USA.
| | - Panseok Yang
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB, R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Norm Halden
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB, R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Steven H Ferguson
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Cory J D Matthews
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Smith TM, Arora M, Bharatiya M, Dirks W, Austin C. Brief Communication: Elemental Models of Primate Nursing and Weaning Revisited. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 180:216-223. [PMID: 37406034 PMCID: PMC10099337 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Objectives Intra-tooth patterns of trace elements barium (Ba) and strontium (Sr) have been used to infer human and nonhuman primate nursing histories, including australopithecine and Neanderthal juveniles. Here we contrast the two elemental models in first molars (M1s) of four wild baboons and explore the assumptions that underlie each. Materials and Methods Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was employed to create comprehensive calcium-normalized barium and strontium (Ba/Ca, Sr/Ca) maps of M1 enamel and dentine at 35 micron resolution. Results Postnatal Ba/Ca values were typically high, peaking ~0.5 years of age and then decreasing throughout M1 crown formation; all four individuals showed minimal Ba/Ca values between ~1.2-1.8 years, consistent with field reports of the cessation of suckling. Enamel Sr/Ca did not support patterns of previous LA-ICP-MS spot sampling as the enamel rarely showed discrete Sr/Ca secretory zonation. Increases in Sr/Ca appeared in coronal dentine beginning ~0.3 years, with varied peak value ages (~0.7-2.7 years) and no evidence of a predicted postweaning decline. Discussion Inferences of baboon weaning ages from initial Ba/Ca minima are more congruent with behavioral observations than Sr/Ca maxima; this is consistent with studies of captive macaques of known weaning ages. Elemental variation is more apparent in the coronal dentine than the enamel of these baboons, which may relate to its more rapid mineralization and protection from the oral environment. Inferences of nursing histories from enamel Sr/Ca patterns alone should be reconsidered, and elevated values of Ba/Ca and Sr/Ca in teeth formed after weaning require further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya M. Smith
- Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural ResearchGriffith UniversityNathanAustralia
- Australian Research Centre for Human EvolutionGriffith UniversityNathanAustralia
| | - Manish Arora
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public HealthIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Maya Bharatiya
- Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural ResearchGriffith UniversityNathanAustralia
- Australian Research Centre for Human EvolutionGriffith UniversityNathanAustralia
| | - Wendy Dirks
- Department of AnthropologyDurham UniversityDurhamUK
| | - Christine Austin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public HealthIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
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Cerrito P, Hu B, Kalisher R, Bailey SE, Bromage TG. Life history in primate teeth is revealed by changes in major and minor element concentrations measured via field-emission SEM-EDS analysis. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20220438. [PMID: 36651149 PMCID: PMC9846430 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Overcoming the non-specificity of histological accentuated growth lines in hard tissues is an ongoing challenge. Identifying season at death and reproductive events has profound implications for evolutionary, ecological and conservation studies. Dental cementum is a mineralized tissue with yearly periodicity that continues deposition from tooth formation until death, maintaining a record spanning almost the entire life of an individual. Recent work has successfully employed elemental analysis of calcified incremental tissues to detect changes in extrinsic conditions such as diet and climate and to identify two important life-history milestones: weaning and sexual maturity. Here, we employ field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis to measure the relative concentrations of calcium, phosphorous, oxygen, magnesium and sodium in the cementum of 34 teeth from seven male and female rhesus macaques with known medical and life-history information. We find that changes in relative magnesium concentrations correspond with reproductive events in females and breastfeeding in infants. Additionally, we observe seasonal calcium patterns in 77.3% of the samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Cerrito
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA,Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA,Collegium Helveticum, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Bin Hu
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Kalisher
- Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Shara E. Bailey
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothy G. Bromage
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA,Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA
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Cerrito P, Hu B, Goldstein JZ, Kalisher R, Bailey SE, Bromage TG. Elemental composition of primary lamellar bone differs between parous and nulliparous rhesus macaque females. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276866. [PMID: 36318529 PMCID: PMC9624403 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracting life history information from mineralized hard tissues of extant and extinct species is an ongoing challenge in evolutionary and conservation studies. Primary lamellar bone is a mineralized tissue with multidien periodicity that begins deposition prenatally and continues until adulthood albeit with concurrent resorption, thus maintaining a record spanning several years of an individual's life. Here, we use field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis to measure the relative concentrations of calcium, phosphorous, oxygen, magnesium and sodium in the femora of seven rhesus macaque with known medical and life-history information. We find that the concentration of these elements distinguishes parous from nulliparous females; that in females calcium and phosphorus are lower in bone formed during reproductive events; and that significant differences in relative magnesium concentration correlate with breastfeeding in infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Cerrito
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, United States of America
- Collegium Helveticum, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Bin Hu
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Justin Z. Goldstein
- Department of Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rachel Kalisher
- Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Shara E. Bailey
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Timothy G. Bromage
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, United States of America
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McCormack MA, McFee WE, Whitehead HR, Piwetz S, Dutton J. Exploring the Use of SEM-EDS Analysis to Measure the Distribution of Major, Minor, and Trace Elements in Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Teeth. Biol Trace Elem Res 2022; 200:2147-2159. [PMID: 34273061 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-021-02809-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Dolphin teeth contain enamel, dentin, and cementum. In dentin, growth layer groups (GLGs), deposited at incremental rates (e.g., annually), are used for aging. Major, minor, and trace elements are incorporated within teeth; their distribution within teeth varies, reflecting tooth function and temporal changes in an individual's exposure. This study used a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to determine the distribution of major (e.g., Ca, P), minor (e.g., Cl, Mg, Na), and trace elements (e.g., Cd, Hg, Pb, Zn) in teeth from 12 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The objective was to compare elemental distributions between enamel and dentin and across GLGs. Across all dolphins and point analyses, the following elements were detected in descending weight percentage (wt %; mean ± SE): O (40.8 ± 0.236), Ca (24.3 ± 0.182), C (14.3 ± 0.409), P (14.0 ± 0.095), Al (4.28 ± 0.295), Mg (1.89 ± 0.047), Na (0.666 ± 0.008), Cl (0.083 ± 0.003). Chlorine and Mg differed between enamel and dentin; Mg increased from the enamel towards the dentin while Cl decreased. The wt % of elements did not vary significantly across the approximate location of the GLGs. Except for Al, which may be due to backscatter from the SEM stub, we did not detect trace elements. Other trace elements, if present, are below the detection limit. Technologies with lower detection limits (e.g., laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)) would be required to confirm the presence and distribution of trace elements in bottlenose dolphin teeth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan A McCormack
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
| | - Wayne E McFee
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA
| | | | - Sarah Piwetz
- Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Galveston, TX, 77551, USA
| | - Jessica Dutton
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
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Shykholeslami A, Rasouli Z, Ghavami R. Highly specific fingerprinting of alkaline earth metal ions by a tunable plasmonic nanosensor array based on nanoaggregation of metallochromic dyes-AuNPs. Mikrochim Acta 2021; 188:310. [PMID: 34455478 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-021-04976-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Metal ions, specifically alkaline earth metal ions (AEMIs; Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+), have essential roles in industrial processes, medical testing, and environmental evaluation; therefore, developing sensitive detection methods capable of their contents is highly required. To this aim, we have designed an absorbance nanosensor array using three metallochromic dyes decorated on AuNPs and have monitored variations in AuNP plasmonic profiles upon the addition of AEMIs in different buffer and pH solutions. The array is designed in a tunable size of 2 × 3 × 1(2/3); as the type buffer and pH of solution are fixed, the number of dyes can be changed in three individual modes, three binary modes, and a ternary mode, respectively. Owing to the different binding affinities of AEMIs toward dyes in different buffer and pH solutions, fingerprint-like plasmonic profiles with different levels of aggregation AuNPs were generated for all modes of array. These aggregation AuNP-based fingerprint profiles in the wavelengths of 500, 525, 550, 575, 600, 625, 650, 675, 700, 725, and 750 nm were used to discriminate the AEMIs by applying pattern recognition methods including linear discrimination analysis (LDA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) to identify each AEMI in the range 2.1-24.7 μM. Accordingly, limits of detection (LODs) values of 0.013 (±3.13), 0.014 (±2.99), 0.020 (±4.17), and 0.017 (±4.31) μM were obtained the Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+, respectively. The results revealed that all the modes of array could well differentiate complex mixtures of the AEMIs. Our suggested array also exhibited a good performance in the differentiation of AEMIs in real samples and a certified reference material (CRM) sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailin Shykholeslami
- Chemometrics Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan, P.O. Box 416, Sanandaj, 66177-15175, Iran
| | - Zolaikha Rasouli
- Chemometrics Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan, P.O. Box 416, Sanandaj, 66177-15175, Iran.
| | - Raouf Ghavami
- Chemometrics Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan, P.O. Box 416, Sanandaj, 66177-15175, Iran.
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Clark CT, Horstmann L, Misarti N. Walrus teeth as biomonitors of trace elements in Arctic marine ecosystems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 772:145500. [PMID: 33571762 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Effective biomonitoring requires an understanding of the factors driving concentrations of the substances or compounds of interest in the tissues of studied organisms. Biomonitoring of trace elements, and heavy metals in particular, has been the focus of much research; however, the complex roles many trace elements play in animal and plant tissues can make it difficult to disentangle environmental signals from physiology. This study examined the concentrations of 15 trace elements in the teeth of 122 Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) to investigate the potential for walrus teeth as biomonitors of trace elements in Arctic ecosystems. Elemental concentrations were measured across cementum growth layer groups (GLGs), thereby reconstructing a lifetime history of element concentrations for each walrus. The locations of GLGs were used to divide trace element time series into individual years, allowing each GLG to be associated with an animal age and a calendar year. The elements studied exhibited a great deal of complexity, reflecting the numerous factors responsible for generating tooth trace element concentrations. Generalized linear mixed models were used to investigate the importance of age and sex in explaining observed variation in trace element concentrations. Some elements exhibited clear physiological signals (particularly zinc, strontium, barium, and lead), and all elements except arsenic varied by age and/or sex. Pearson's correlations revealed that elements were more strongly correlated among calendar years than among individual walruses, and correlations of trace elements within individual walruses were generally inconsistent or weak. Plots of average elemental concentrations through time from 1945 to 2014 further supported the correlation analyses, with many elements exhibiting similar patterns across the ~70-year period. Together, these results indicate the importance of physiology in modulating tooth trace element concentrations in walrus tooth cementum, but suggest that many trace elements reflect a record of environmental exposure and dietary intake/uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey T Clark
- Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, 3737 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
| | - Lara Horstmann
- College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2150 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7220, USA.
| | - Nicole Misarti
- Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Loop, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
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Smith TM, Cook L, Dirks W, Green DR, Austin C. Teeth reveal juvenile diet, health and neurotoxicant exposure retrospectively: What biological rhythms and chemical records tell us. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2000298. [PMID: 33721363 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Integrated developmental and elemental information in teeth provide a unique framework for documenting breastfeeding histories, physiological disruptions, and neurotoxicant exposure in humans and our primate relatives, including ancient hominins. Here we detail our method for detecting the consumption of mothers' milk and exploring health history through the use of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) mapping of sectioned nonhuman primate teeth. Calcium-normalized barium and lead concentrations in tooth enamel and dentine may reflect milk and formula consumption with minimal modification during subsequent tooth mineralization, particularly in dentine. However, skeletal resorption during severe illness, and bioavailable metals in nonmilk foods, can complicate interpretations of nursing behavior. We show that explorations of the patterning of multiple elements may aid in the distinction of these important etiologies. Targeted studies of skeletal chemistry, gastrointestinal maturation, and the dietary bioavailability of metals are needed to optimize these unique records of human health and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya M Smith
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia.,Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Luisa Cook
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Wendy Dirks
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, Durham, UK
| | - Daniel R Green
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christine Austin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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