Doherty, Sean, Collins, Matthew James orcid.org/0000-0003-4226-5501, Harris, Alison et al. (3 more authors) (2022) A modern baseline for the paired isotopic analysis of skin and bone in terrestrial mammals. Royal Society Open Science. 211587. ISSN 2054-5703
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 practices showed a population-wide trend for skin collagen to be depleted in 13C by –0.7‰ and enriched in 15N by +1.0‰ relative to bone collagen, even in stillborn animals. These results are intriguing and difficult to explain using current knowledge; however, on the basis of the findings reported here, we caution any results which interpret simply on differing turnover rates. We hypothesize that there may be a consistent difference in the routing of dietary protein and lipids between skin and bone, with potentially on-site synthesis of non-essential amino acids using carbon and nitrogen that have been sourced via different biochemical pathways.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 The Authors |
Keywords: | Isotope analysis,diet,skin,Bone collagen,Sheep |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (York) > Archaeology (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 13 Jan 2022 15:20 |
Last Modified: | 16 Oct 2024 18:09 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211587 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1098/rsos.211587 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:182524 |
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Filename: rsos.211587.pdf
Description: A modern baseline for the paired isotopic analysis of skin and bone in terrestrial mammals
Licence: CC-BY 2.5