Bocherens H
Laboratoire de Biogéochimie Isotopique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
Anthropol Anz. 1997 Jun;55(2):101-20.
Natural abundances in 13C and 15N of bone collagen are linked to those of the diet. This isotopic signal can thus be linked to the dietary parameters of a given individual, such as the plants at the beginning of his food web and his position in the trophic web. In order to use this approach to study the diet of ancient humans, it is crucial to be sure that the original isotopic abundances of fossil collagen are preserved. This is done by controlling the biochemical purity of the organic matter extracted from fossil bones, and by checking that the isotopic differences observed in modern environments between herbivorous and carnivorous species are indeed measured in the fossil samples. Upper Pleistocene sites with a good isotopic preservation of collagen have been recognized in temperate and arctic environments. The isotopic signatures measured in such sites highlight particularities of the "mammoth steppe" fauna, and improve our knowledge of the diet of Neandertals.
骨骼胶原蛋白中碳-13和氮-15的自然丰度与饮食中的相关丰度有关。因此，这种同位素信号可以与特定个体的饮食参数联系起来，比如其食物网起始端的植物以及其在营养网中的位置。为了运用这种方法研究古代人类的饮食，确保化石胶原蛋白的原始同位素丰度得以保存至关重要。这可通过控制从化石骨骼中提取的有机物的生化纯度来实现，还需检查在现代环境中食草动物和食肉动物物种之间观察到的同位素差异在化石样本中确实能够测得。在温带和北极环境中，已识别出胶原蛋白同位素保存良好的晚更新世遗址。在此类遗址中测得的同位素特征凸显了“猛犸草原”动物群的独特之处，并增进了我们对尼安德特人饮食的了解。
