Non-exchangeable hydrogen (δ2H) stable isotope ratios in fauna provide enhanced dietary, isotopic niche and home range reconstruction at Aqaba Castle, Jordan.

ABSTRACT: Bone collagen of terrestrial and marine animals (n = 218) recovered from Ottoman period contexts at Aqaba Castle, Jordan (16th-19th centuries CE), were analyzed for δ13C, δ15N, and δ2H isotope ratios. While δ13C and δ15N values showed considerable overlap among species in the hyperarid environment, δ2H values exhibited less overlap, enhancing stable isotopic niche differentiation. In domesticates, δ2H values show trophic enrichments of +18.4‰ from herbivores to omnivores (dogs), and +26‰ to cats which had the highest δ2H values. Fish δ2H values show a positive relationship with increasing trophic level but also moderately correlate with body size (r = 0.61, R2 = 0.37). The offset between collagen δ2H and rainfall (δ2Hmw) values is smaller for camels (-1.4‰), sheep (-4.5‰), and goats (+6.8%

SUBMITTER: Shev GT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12316241 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature