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Natural 13 C/ 12 C ratio variations in human populations
Author(s) -
Gaffney J. S.,
Irsa A. P.,
Friedman L.,
Slatkin D. N.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
biomedical mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9888
pISSN - 0306-042X
DOI - 10.1002/bms.1200050807
Subject(s) - brain tissue , δ13c , isotopes of carbon , carbonate , isotope , biology , stable isotope ratio , chemistry , total organic carbon , anatomy , ecology , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Baseline data on the naturally occurring 13 C/ 12 C ratios of human tissue samples from several modern human populations are presented. Isotope ratios were determined for endogenous tissue samples (brain, liver and lung) from 20 routine unselected autopsy cases of residents of Long Island, New York. Comparable data were obtained from tissue samples from Bergen, Norway and Lucerne, Switzerland. Average values of 13 C ratios reported in units of δ 13 C (‰) relative to the PDB carbonate standard were −20.6 ± 1.0 for 49 tissue samples from Switzerland, −20.7 ± 1.0 for 21 tissue samples from Bergen, Norway and −16.2 ± 1.0 for 89 tissue samples from Long Island, New York. These variations are discussed in terms of the isotopic carbon inventory in the respective diets of the populations sampled and also in terms of their implications for biomedical investigation.