Current Search: carbon isotope (x)
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- Title
- STABLE CARBON AND NITROGEN ISOTOPE ANALYSES OF SUBFOSSIL RATS FROM LIANG BUA (FLORES, INDONESIA).
- Creator
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Anderson, Kelly, Dupras, Tosha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This research study investigated the level of bone collagen preservation of rat femora from Liang Bua cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia, as well as conducted carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic analyses on well preserved samples. Although Flores is located in a hot intermediate tropical zone and the burial environment of the bone samples within the cave is considered less than optimal for collagen preservation, significant preservation of the bone collagen was found. Collagen yields, C...
Show moreThis research study investigated the level of bone collagen preservation of rat femora from Liang Bua cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia, as well as conducted carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic analyses on well preserved samples. Although Flores is located in a hot intermediate tropical zone and the burial environment of the bone samples within the cave is considered less than optimal for collagen preservation, significant preservation of the bone collagen was found. Collagen yields, C:N ratio and carbon and nitrogen concentrations were investigated. However, this research study argues that carbon and nitrogen concentrations are an appropriate means to determine preservation on its own. According to the carbon and nitrogen concentration data 32 samples were considered well preserved. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic analyses were conducted on the 32 preserved samples. According to the carbon data a significant shift in the [delta]13C values from a C3 signature to a C4 signature occurred prior to 2,750 years ago. This shift is indicative of the introduction of a non-endemic C4 plant, which is believed to be either foxtail millet or sugarcane. Since this shift occurs abruptly it indicates that the introduction of agriculture to Flores occurred at one time and has continued to present day.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003894, ucf:48748
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003894
- Title
- STABLE ISOTOPE EVIDENCE FOR THE GEOGRAPHIC ORIGINS AND MILITARY MOVEMENT OF NAPOLEONIC SOLIDERS DURING THE MARCH FROM MOSCOW IN 1812.
- Creator
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Pelier, Serenela, Dupras , Tosha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In 2001, 3269 unidentified individuals were found in a mass grave on the Northern part of Vilnius, Lithuania. Artifactual context indicates that these individuals were likely soldiers that were a part of Napoleon's Grand Army. Stable oxygen isotope analysis was performed on bone apatite from 9 femoral bone samples to determine whether or not these individuals were Lithuanian locals and to test ratio variation. If individuals were foreigners, then geographical origins were approximated...
Show moreIn 2001, 3269 unidentified individuals were found in a mass grave on the Northern part of Vilnius, Lithuania. Artifactual context indicates that these individuals were likely soldiers that were a part of Napoleon's Grand Army. Stable oxygen isotope analysis was performed on bone apatite from 9 femoral bone samples to determine whether or not these individuals were Lithuanian locals and to test ratio variation. If individuals were foreigners, then geographical origins were approximated utilizing percentages of C4 plants from Holder (2013) and [delta]18O values that were extracted from bone apatite. The carbonate oxygen isotope compositions ([delta]18Ocarbonate) of bone apatite from the femoral samples (-4.4‰ to -6.2‰) indicate that these individuals were from central and western Europe (-4.0‰ to -6.9‰). It is significant that none of the individuals have values consistent with the area around Lithuania (-10.0‰ to -11.9‰), because it means that they all were non-local. It is also indicative that the Lithuanians were not burying their citizens in the grave and therefore strongly support that these individuals were Napoleonic soldiers. Additionally, although C4 percentages in the diet ranged from 17.8% to 31.7%, which overlaps with eastern European consumption patterns (approximately 15% to 25% of C4 plants) (Reitsema et al., 2010), the slight shift towards a higher C4 percentage is more representative of a central and western European diet. These results are significant because they provide stable isotopic evidence that these individuals were Napoleon's soldiers whom participated in the Russian campaign of 1812.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004822, ucf:45454
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004822
- Title
- Diet and Migration in Coastal Oaxaca: Identifying Effects of Political and Social Collapse through the Utilization of Stable Isotope Analysis.
- Creator
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Rumberger, Jacklyn, Barber, Sarah, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study involves the investigation of diet and mobility among people living in the lower R(&)#237;o Verde Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico, during the Late Classic (AD 500-800) and Early Postclassic (AD 800-1200) periods. Specifically, this research focuses on how political and social collapse affected subsistence practices and diet, particularly maize agriculture and consumption, as well as human migration. Archaeological evidence suggests that R(&)#237;o Viejo, the region's largest urban center...
Show moreThis study involves the investigation of diet and mobility among people living in the lower R(&)#237;o Verde Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico, during the Late Classic (AD 500-800) and Early Postclassic (AD 800-1200) periods. Specifically, this research focuses on how political and social collapse affected subsistence practices and diet, particularly maize agriculture and consumption, as well as human migration. Archaeological evidence suggests that R(&)#237;o Viejo, the region's largest urban center before AD 800, experienced multiple periods of political fragmentation and instability during its long history, specifically during the Early Classic (AD 250 - 500) and Early Postclassic periods, making it an ideal place to test these relationships. Stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopic analyses of human bone and tooth samples were used to reconstruct diet and create a life history for sampled individuals. Samples were extracted from the skeletal remains of individuals dating to the Late Classic (n=11) and Early Postclassic (n=11) periods. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values provide insight into maize consumption; in addition stable nitrogen isotope values also indicate the extent that aquatic resources were being exploited. Stable oxygen isotope values are used to determine if any of the individuals were foreigners and had migrated to the valley during their lifetime. Results demonstrate collapse following the Classic period led to a slight dietary shift that included a wider variety of resources, possibly aquatic. Human mobility also increased during this time as oxygen values display a wider range and indicate movement within the valley and along the coast.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006491, ucf:51399
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006491
- Title
- Migratory connectivity and carry-over effects in Northwest Atlantic loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta, L.).
- Creator
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Ceriani, Simona, Weishampel, John, Ehrhart, Llewellyn, Walters, Linda, Quintana-Ascencio, Pedro, Roth, James, Valdes, Eduardo, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Migration is a widespread and complex phenomenon in nature that has fascinated humans for centuries. Connectivity among populations influences their demographics, genetic structure and response to environmental change. Here, I used the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta, L.) as a study organism to address questions related to migratory connectivity and carry-over effects using satellite telemetry, stable isotope analysis and GIS interpolation methods. Telemetry identified foraging areas...
Show moreMigration is a widespread and complex phenomenon in nature that has fascinated humans for centuries. Connectivity among populations influences their demographics, genetic structure and response to environmental change. Here, I used the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta, L.) as a study organism to address questions related to migratory connectivity and carry-over effects using satellite telemetry, stable isotope analysis and GIS interpolation methods. Telemetry identified foraging areas previously overlooked for loggerheads nesting in Florida. Next, I validated and evaluated the efficacy of intrinsic markers as a complementary and low cost tool to assign loggerhead foraging regions in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean (NWA), using both a spatially implicit and spatially explicit (isoscapes) approach. I then focused on the nesting beaches and developed a common currency for isotopic studies based on unhatched eggs, which provide a non-invasive and non-destructive method for more extensive sampling to elucidate isotopic patterns across broader spatiotemporal scales. Lastly, I found that intra-population variations in foraging strategies affect annual and long-term reproductive output of loggerheads nesting in Florida. Understanding geospatial linkages is critical to the fostering of appropriate management and conservation strategies for migratory species. My multi-faceted approach contributes to the growing body of literature exploring migratory connectivity and carry-over effects.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005470, ucf:50390
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005470
- Title
- Bioarchaeological assessment of diet and changes in femoral and humeral stable isotopic values among subadults at Medieval Alytus, Lithuania.
- Creator
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Page, Katherine, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, Wheeler, Sandra, Schultz, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Establishing a chronology of variation in isotopic values can reveal frailty associated with biological and social age, as well as highlight individuals who vary from typical patterns. Although general dietary characteristics and infant feeding practices were previously unknown for subadults excavated from the cemetery at Alytus, Lithuania (14th-18th centuries), previous research concludes that Alytus' subadults experienced high rates of physiological, metabolic, non-specific stress, in...
Show moreEstablishing a chronology of variation in isotopic values can reveal frailty associated with biological and social age, as well as highlight individuals who vary from typical patterns. Although general dietary characteristics and infant feeding practices were previously unknown for subadults excavated from the cemetery at Alytus, Lithuania (14th-18th centuries), previous research concludes that Alytus' subadults experienced high rates of physiological, metabolic, non-specific stress, in addition to specific diseases like tuberculosis. To investigate nuanced relationships between diet and mortality, nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes from the femoral and humeral midshaft diaphyses of 70 subadults (32 weeks gestation to16 years) were analyzed. Dietary reconstruction reveals that on average, exclusive breastfeeding continued until around 2 years of age when enriched ?13C (-19.6‰) and ?15N values (12.7‰) begin to deplete suggesting introduction of C3 grain gruels and potential weaning-associated infirmity. Nitrogen values remained slightly elevated in children (3-5 years, 11.2‰) until the beginning of juvenility (5-8 years, 10.3‰) when ?15N more closely mirrored adult values (16 years, 10.2‰), consistent with predominant consumption of terrestrial animal protein, possibly with riverine influence. The difference between femoral to humeral ? F-H 13C (-0.05 (&)#177;0.25‰, 1?) and ? F-H 15N (- 0.01(&)#177;0.45‰, 1?) was not significant, though humeral values were on average more enriched. Enrichments in humeral nitrogen and carbon coincided with estimated weaning age. Cohorts experiencing childhood and adolescent growth spurts experienced higher femoral ?13C and ?15N values. Examining dietary experience and physiological changes contributes a holistic understanding of subadult morbidity and mortality experiences in Medieval Lithuania.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005679, ucf:50192
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005679
- Title
- Childhood diet and mobility at medieval (1240s AD) Solt-T(&)#233;telhegy, Hungary as reconstructed from stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope analysis.
- Creator
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Gugora, Ariana, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, Schultz, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Between 2005 and 2009, archaeologists excavated more than 100 skeletons from the medieval (1240s AD) Hungarian site of Solt-T(&)#233;telhegy. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses were conducted on dental enamel and dentin from 24 individuals to examine their childhood diet. Although previous stable isotopic research has described the diet of medieval European peoples, this is the first such study on a medieval Hungarian population. The enamel ?13C values range from -14.4‰ to -8.6‰,...
Show moreBetween 2005 and 2009, archaeologists excavated more than 100 skeletons from the medieval (1240s AD) Hungarian site of Solt-T(&)#233;telhegy. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses were conducted on dental enamel and dentin from 24 individuals to examine their childhood diet. Although previous stable isotopic research has described the diet of medieval European peoples, this is the first such study on a medieval Hungarian population. The enamel ?13C values range from -14.4‰ to -8.6‰, with a mean of -11.1‰, while the dentin ?13C values range from -19.4‰ to -14.9‰, with an average of -17.4‰. These data indicate that C3 plants were the main plant type consumed by the majority of this population, with the exception of a few individuals, who appear to have included C4 plants in their diet. These results are to be expected, given the dominance of C3 over C4 plants in medieval Central Europe. Thus, based on historical and isotopic evidence, the outliers may have spent their childhoods elsewhere and later migrated into the Solt-T(&)#233;telhegy area. The ?15N values range from 9.5‰ to 11.6‰, with a mean of 10.6‰, indicating that animal protein was prevalent in the diets of the sample population. Despite clear signs of status differences indicated by burial location, stable nitrogen values also point to relatively egalitarian access to animal protein amongst the individuals. The enamel ?18Op values range from 23.6‰ to 27.2‰, with an average of 25.1‰, suggesting that multiple migrations occurred into the study site. The results of this study show that the dietary and mobility information gleaned from stable isotope analysis can be used to interpret the lifeways of archaeological peoples. ?
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005623, ucf:50213
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005623
- Title
- Animals of the cloud forest: isotopic variation of archaeological faunal remains from Kuelap, Peru.
- Creator
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Michell, Samantha, Toyne, J. Marla, Duncan, Neil, Dupras, Tosha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Stable isotopic analyses of faunal remains are used as a proxy for reconstructing the ancient Chachapoya dietary environment of the northeastern highlands in Peru. Archaeologists have excavated animal remains from refuse piles at the monumental center of Kuelap (AD 900-1535). This archaeological site is located at 3000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.), where C3 plants dominate the region. The study presented here is one of the few in the Central Andes that uses faunal remains to develop...
Show moreStable isotopic analyses of faunal remains are used as a proxy for reconstructing the ancient Chachapoya dietary environment of the northeastern highlands in Peru. Archaeologists have excavated animal remains from refuse piles at the monumental center of Kuelap (AD 900-1535). This archaeological site is located at 3000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.), where C3 plants dominate the region. The study presented here is one of the few in the Central Andes that uses faunal remains to develop local isotopic baselines, reconstruct resource exploitation, and provide insight into dietary variation. Bone collagen stable carbon (?13C) and nitrogen (?15N) isotopes are used to investigate animal diets of nine local fauna (Camelidae, Cervidae, Caviidae, Chinchillidae, Cuniculidae, Leporidae, Felidae, Canidae, and Aves). Different taxonomic families were evaluated to explore the range of isotopic variation within and between these animals. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic values of both the wild and domesticated Kuelap faunal samples suggest a diet of both C3 and C4 plant foods. Significant dietary differences were identified between domesticated and wild animals (specifically camelid and cervid), suggesting ecological differences or strategic provisioning from possible domestic C4 crops (maize) by humans. The domesticated camelids displayed a large isotopic variation similar to other highland archaeological studies in Peru, with an average ?13C value of (-)14.13 ‰ and a standard deviation of 2.96. The cervids displayed lower variation than the camelids and had an average carbon value of (-)19.13 ‰ with a standard deviation of 2.38. These are the first faunal isotopic data for the eastern montane region of Chachapoyas and serve as an essential baseline in the evaluation of human subsistence strategies and animal management strategies in the northern Peruvian highlands.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007226, ucf:52237
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007226
- Title
- Changes in Neolithic Subsistence Patterns on Flores, Indonesia Inferred by Stable Carbon, Nitrogen, and Oxygen Isotope Analyses of Sus from Liang Bua.
- Creator
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Munizzi, Jordon, Dupras, Tosha, Williams, Lana, Schultz, John, Tocheri, Matthew, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Despite an abundance of archaeological material recovered from sites in Island Southeast Asia, the timing and route by which cultigens first arrived in Wallacea remains unclear. Many of the staple crops now grown on these islands were domesticated in mainland Asia, and were deliberately introduced by humans at an unknown point during the Holocene, through several possible routes. In this study, the ?13C, ?15N and ?18O values of subfossil bones and teeth attributed to Sus celebensis and Sus...
Show moreDespite an abundance of archaeological material recovered from sites in Island Southeast Asia, the timing and route by which cultigens first arrived in Wallacea remains unclear. Many of the staple crops now grown on these islands were domesticated in mainland Asia, and were deliberately introduced by humans at an unknown point during the Holocene, through several possible routes. In this study, the ?13C, ?15N and ?18O values of subfossil bones and teeth attributed to Sus celebensis and Sus scrofa are analyzed. These materials, which span the last 5160 years at Liang Bua, Flores, Indonesia are used to determine if and when there was a shift towards agricultural intensification, and whether this intensification included the integration of domesticated C4 crops. The ?13C and ?15N values of the bone and dentin collagen samples indicate an abrupt shift towards enrichment in 13C and depletion in 15N at some time between 5160 and 2750 yBP. This hints at changes in human subsistence patterns that may have included the clearing of forests, and the integration of non-endemic C4 cultigens such as foxtail millet (Setaria italica) onto the island. No statistically significant variation in the ?18O values of the enamel carbonate samples over time is observed, suggesting that once they appeared on Flores, semi-domesticated pigs became an important part of the island ecosystem, and were bred and raised on Flores instead of being continuously imported from elsewhere.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004728, ucf:49820
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004728