~lb-7037/86/S3. ~ +.&I Effects of diagenesis on strontium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen concentration and isotopic composition of bone

• Main Authors: Bruce K. Nelson, Michael J. Deniro, P. E. Hare
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1985
• Subjects: Greenland
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.468.4433; http://anthropology.ucsd.edu/faculty-staff/profiles/files/Nelson etal.1986.pdf

Abstract-Paleodietary analysis based on variations in the trace element and stable isotopic composition of inorganic and organic phases in fossil bone depends on the assumption that measured values reflect in vivo values. To test for postmortem alteration, we measured s7Sr/s6Sr, “C/“C, ‘sO/‘6O and 15N/14N ratios and Sr concentrations in modem and prehistoric (610 to 5470 yr old) bones of animals with marine or terrestrial diets from Greenland. Bones from modem terrestrial feeders have substantially lower Sr concentrations and more radiogenic %/%r ratios than those from modem marine feeders. This contrast was not preserved in the prehistoric samples, which showed almost complete overlap for both Sr concentration and isotopic composition in bones from the two types of animals. Leaching experiments, X-ray diffraction analysis and infrared spec-troscopy indicate that alteration of the Sr ~n~ntmtion and isotopic com~sition in prehistoric bone probably results from nearly complete exchange with groundwater. Oxygen isotope ratios in fossil apatite carbonate also failed to preserve the original discrimination between modem terrestrial and marine feeders. The C isotope ratio of apatite carbonate did not discriminate between animals with marine or terrestrial diets in the modern samples. Even so, the ranges of apatite a’ % values in prehistoric bone are more scattered than in modem samples for both groups, suggesting alteration had occurred. 613C and 61SN values of collagen in