TY - JOUR
T1 - Zinc isotopes in Late Pleistocene fossil teeth from a Southeast Asian cave setting preserve paleodietary information
AU - Bourgon, Nicolas
AU - Jaouen, Klervia
AU - Bacon, Anne Marie
AU - Jochum, Klaus Peter
AU - Dufour, Elise
AU - Duringer, Philippe
AU - Ponche, Jean Luc
AU - Joannes-Boyau, Renaud
AU - Boesch, Quentin
AU - Antoine, Pierre Olivier
AU - Hullot, Manon
AU - Weis, Ulrike
AU - Schulz-Kornas, Ellen
AU - Trost, Manuel
AU - Fiorillo, Denis
AU - Demeter, Fabrice
AU - Patole-Edoumba, Elise
AU - Shackelford, Laura L.
AU - Dunn, Tyler E.
AU - Zachwieja, Alexandra
AU - Duangthongchit, Somoh
AU - Sayavonkhamdy, Thongsa
AU - Sichanthongtip, Phonephanh
AU - Sihanam, Daovee
AU - Souksavatdy, Viengkeo
AU - Hublin, Jean Jacques
AU - Tütken, Thomas
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/3/3
Y1 - 2020/3/3
N2 - Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of collagen from bone and dentin have frequently been used for dietary reconstruction, but this method is limited by protein preservation. Isotopes of the trace element zinc (Zn) in bioapatite constitute a promising proxy to infer dietary information from extant and extinct vertebrates. The 66Zn/64Zn ratio (expressed as δ66Zn value) shows an enrichment of the heavy isotope in mammals along each trophic step. However, preservation of diet-related δ66Zn values in fossil teeth has not been assessed yet. Here, we analyzed enamel of fossil teeth from the Late Pleistocene (38.4-13.5 ka) mammalian assemblage of the Tam Hay Marklot (THM) cave in northeastern Laos, to reconstruct the food web and assess the preservation of original δ66Zn values. Distinct enamel δ66Zn values of the fossil taxa (δ66Zncarnivore < δ66Znomnivore < δ66Znherbivore) according to their expected feeding habits were observed, with a trophic carnivore-herbivore spacing of +0.60% and omnivores having intermediate values. Zn and trace element concentration profiles similar to those of modern teeth also indicate minimal impact of diagenesis on the enamel. While further work is needed to explore preservation for settings with different taphonomic conditions, the diet-related δ66Zn values in fossil enamel from THM cave suggest an excellent long-term preservation potential, even under tropical conditions that are well known to be adverse for collagen preservation. Zinc isotopes could thus provide a new tool to assess the diet of fossil hominins and associated fauna, as well as trophic relationships in past food webs.
AB - Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of collagen from bone and dentin have frequently been used for dietary reconstruction, but this method is limited by protein preservation. Isotopes of the trace element zinc (Zn) in bioapatite constitute a promising proxy to infer dietary information from extant and extinct vertebrates. The 66Zn/64Zn ratio (expressed as δ66Zn value) shows an enrichment of the heavy isotope in mammals along each trophic step. However, preservation of diet-related δ66Zn values in fossil teeth has not been assessed yet. Here, we analyzed enamel of fossil teeth from the Late Pleistocene (38.4-13.5 ka) mammalian assemblage of the Tam Hay Marklot (THM) cave in northeastern Laos, to reconstruct the food web and assess the preservation of original δ66Zn values. Distinct enamel δ66Zn values of the fossil taxa (δ66Zncarnivore < δ66Znomnivore < δ66Znherbivore) according to their expected feeding habits were observed, with a trophic carnivore-herbivore spacing of +0.60% and omnivores having intermediate values. Zn and trace element concentration profiles similar to those of modern teeth also indicate minimal impact of diagenesis on the enamel. While further work is needed to explore preservation for settings with different taphonomic conditions, the diet-related δ66Zn values in fossil enamel from THM cave suggest an excellent long-term preservation potential, even under tropical conditions that are well known to be adverse for collagen preservation. Zinc isotopes could thus provide a new tool to assess the diet of fossil hominins and associated fauna, as well as trophic relationships in past food webs.
KW - Diagenesis
KW - Diet
KW - Stable isotopes
KW - Trophic ecology
KW - Zinc
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.1911744117
DO - 10.1073/pnas.1911744117
M3 - Article
C2 - 32071235
AN - SCOPUS:85081147322
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 117
SP - 4675
EP - 4681
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 9
ER -
