A modern baseline for the paired isotopic analysis of skin and bone in terrestrial mammals.

ABSTRACT: We present the isotopic discrimination between paired skin and bone collagen from animals of known life history, providing a modern baseline for the interpretation of archaeological isotopic data. At present, the interpretation of inter-tissue variation (Δ_(skin-bone)) in mummified remains is based on comparisons with other archaeological material, which have attributed divergence to their contrasting turnover rates, with rapidly remodelling skin collagen incorporating alterations in environmental, cultural and physiological conditions in the months prior to death. While plausible, the lack of baseline data from individuals with known life histories has hindered evaluation of the explanations presented. Our analysis of a range of animals raised under a variety of management pract

SUBMITTER: Doherty SP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8753148 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature