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Stable isotope ( 13 C, 15 N and 34 S) analysis of the hair of modern humans and their domestic animals
Author(s) -
Bol Roland,
Pflieger Christian
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.706
Subject(s) - omnivore , chemistry , cats , stable isotope ratio , hair analysis , isotope , herbivore , isotope analysis , isotopes of carbon , zoology , environmental chemistry , ecology , biology , medicine , pathology , physics , alternative medicine , quantum mechanics , predation , total organic carbon
Relationships between dietary status and recent migration were examined by δ 13 C, δ 15 N and δ 34 S analysis of hair samples from 43 modern humans living in a rural community in SW England. The isotopic content of 38 ‘local’ hair samples was compared with that of five recently arrived individuals (from Canada, Chile, Germany and the USA). Hair samples from domestic animals (i.e. mainly cats, dogs, cows and horses) were analysed to examine the difference in δ 13 C, δ 15 N and δ 34 S values between herbivores and carnivores. Generally, modern human hair data from the triple stable isotope (δ 13 C, δ 15 N and δ 34 S) provided enough information to confirm the dietary status and origin of the individual subjects. The dietary intake was generally reflected in the animal hair δ 15 N and δ 13 C values, i.e. highest in the carnivores (cats). However, a non‐local origin of food sources given to domesticated omnivores (i.e. dogs) was suggested by their hair δ 34 S values. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.