Regular Article
Oxygen Isotopes in Enamel Carbonate and their Ecological Significance

https://doi.org/10.1006/jasc.1998.0388Get rights and content

Abstract

Stable carbon isotope analysis of fossil tooth enamel carbonate, and oxygen isotope analysis of bone or enamel phosphate, are established tools for palaeodietary and palaeoclimatic reconstruction, respectively.13C/12C ratios provide evidence of an animal’s diet and phosphate-based18O/16O values are used to establish palaeotemperature proxies. Recent studies of fossil enamel suggest that biogenic18O/16O signals are also retained in the carbonate compartment, despite assumptions that18O/16O ratios from apatite carbonate are highly susceptible to exchange during fossilization. Here, we re-examine existing enamel carbonate18O/16O data from the rich fossil assemblages of Swartkrans and Equus Cave. We find patterns that can be interpreted in terms of drinking behaviour, diet, and physiology. In general, herbivores that drink little are more enriched than those that drink frequently, while carnivores are depleted compared with herbivores. Thus, we can increase our knowledge of the ecology of fossil taxa by coupling carbon and oxygen isotope ratio data.

References (49)

  • A. Longinelli

    Oxygen isotopes in mammal bone phosphate: a new tool for paleohydrological and paleoclimatological research

    Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

    ((1984))
  • B. Luz et al.

    Fractionation of oxygen isotopes between mammalian bone-phosphate and environmental water

    Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

    ((1984))
  • B. Luz et al.

    Oxygen isotope variations in phosphate of deer bones

    Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

    ((1990))
  • J. Quade et al.

    A 16-Ma record of paleodiet using carbon and oxygen isotopes in fossil teeth from Pakistan

    Chemical Geology (Isotope Geoscience Section)

    ((1992))
  • L. Scott

    Pollen analysis of hyena coprolites and sediments from Equus Cave, Taung, Southern Kalahari (South Africa)

    Quaternary Research

    ((1987))
  • M Sponheimer et al.

    Alteration of enamel carbonate environments during fossilisation

    Journal of Archaeological Science

    ((1999))
  • E.E. Tredget et al.

    Gas chromotography mass spectrometry determination of oxygen-18 in oxygen-18 labelled 4-hydroxyproline for measurement of collagen synthesis and intracellular degradation

    Journal of Chromotography-Biomedical Applications

    ((1993))
  • Y. Wang et al.

    A model of fossil tooth and bone diagenesis: implications for paleodiet reconstruction from stable isotopes

    Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

    ((1994))
  • W.W. Wong et al.

    In vivo isotope fractionation factors and the measurement of deuterium and oxygen-18-dilution spaces from plasma, urine, saliva, respiratory water vapor, and carbon dioxide

    American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

    ((1988))
  • S.H. Ambrose

    Effects of diet, climate and physiology on nitrogen isotope abundances in terrestrial foodwebs

    Journal of Archaeological Science

    ((1991))
  • T.N. Bailey

    The African Leopard: Ecology and Behavior of a Solitary Felid.

    ((1993))
  • H. Bocherens et al.

    Isotopic biogeochemistry (13C,18O) of mammalian enamel from African Pleistocene hominid sites

    Palaios

    ((1996))
  • J.S. Brink et al.

    The feeding niche of an extinct springbok, Antidorcas bondi, and its palaeoenvironmental meaning

    South African Journal of Science

    ((1992))
  • Bryant, J. D. (1995), Oxygen isotope systematics in body water and in modern and fossil equid tooth enamel phosphate....
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text