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Stable isotope analysis of modern human hair collected from Asia (China, India, Mongolia, and Pakistan)
Author(s) -
Thompson A.H.,
Chesson L.A.,
Podlesak D.W.,
Bowen G.J.,
Cerling T.E.,
Ehleringer J.R.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.21162
Subject(s) - delta , china , stable isotope ratio , population , isotope analysis , geography , isotope , agriculture , ecology , biology , demography , archaeology , physics , quantum mechanics , sociology , aerospace engineering , engineering
We report isotopic data (δ 2 H, δ 18 O n = 196; δ 13 C, δ 15 N n = 142; δ 34 S n = 85) from human hair and drinking water (δ 2 H, δ 18 O n = 67) collected across China, India, Mongolia, and Pakistan. Hair isotope ratios reflected the large environmental isotopic gradients and dietary differences. Geographic information was recorded in H and O and to a lesser extent, S isotopes. H and O data were entered into a recently developed model describing the relationship between the H and O isotope composition of human hair and drinking water in modern USA and pre‐globalized populations. This has anthropological and forensic applications including reconstructing environment and diet in modern and ancient human hair. However, it has not been applied to a modern population outside of the USA, where we expect different diet. Relationships between H and O isotope ratios in drinking water and hair of modern human populations in Asia were different to both modern USA and pre‐globalized populations. However, the Asian dataset was closer to the modern USA than to pre‐globalized populations. Model parameters suggested slightly higher consumption of locally producedfoods in our sampled population than modern USA residents, but lower than pre‐globalized populations. The degree of in vivo amino acid synthesis was comparable to both the modern USA and pre‐globalized populations. C isotope ratios reflected the predominantly C 3 ‐based regional agriculture and C 4 consumption in northernChina. C, N, and S isotope ratios supported marine food consumption in some coastal locales. N isotope ratios suggested a relatively low consumption of animal‐derived products compared to western populations. Am J Phys Anthropol 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.