GEOCHEMICAL JOURNAL
Online ISSN : 1880-5973
Print ISSN : 0016-7002
ISSN-L : 0016-7002
Refinement of reconstructed ancient food webs based on the nitrogen isotopic compositions of amino acids from bone collagen: A case study of archaeological herbivores from Tell Ain el-Kerkh, Syria
YU ITAHASHIYOSHITO CHIKARAISHINAOHIKO OHKOUCHIMINORU YONEDA
Author information
JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2014 Volume 48 Issue 4 Pages e15-e19

Details
Abstract
We determined the stable nitrogen isotopic composition (δ15N) of amino acids in bone collagen from samples of three archaeological herbivores (cattle, sheep, and goats), collected from the Tell Ain el-Kerkh Neolithic site in Syria. Bulk collagen δ15N values exhibited significant differences between the three species (by up to 3.2‰), and were strongly correlated with those of glycine (R2 = 0.87), the most abundant amino acid in bone collagen. On the other hand, the δ15N values of two other minor amino acids (glutamic acid and phenylalanine) in the different samples were within narrow ranges (0.9‰ and 0.5‰, respectively), and exhibited either weak or no correlation with those of bulk collagen. The trophic position estimated by the δ15N values of glutamic acid and phenylalanine (2.0 ± 0.1) is consistent with that of herbivores. These results suggest that the δ15N values of bulk bone collagen may vary among herbivores, partly on account of their differing amino acid compositions, whereas the trophic position of different herbivores is faithfully preserved in the δ15N values of glutamic acid and phenylalanine.
Content from these authors
© 2014 by The Geochemical Society of Japan
Previous article
feedback
Top