Anthropology 2229F/G Study Guide - Final Guide: Tooth Enamel, C4 Carbon Fixation, C3 Carbon Fixation
19 Apr 2012
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Anthropology 2229g final exam review part 2. Bone chemistry: varies due to diet, introduced in the 1980s, isotopic analysis. 13c: 12c ratio to find out what the diet was like, reflects dietary preferences: isotopic fractionation. Some plants prefer 14c instead of other carbon isotopes. Can correct for the effects of this. Diet: varies on what carbon isotope the plant preferred: isotope analysis. Tend to be major staples of the diet, e. g. maize in the new. The more you eat the more it appears in the bones. Reflects what was eaten in the last 5-10 years of life because bones are constantly remodeled through life. Teeth reflect what was eaten while the teeth were being formed (childhood) Can see differences in diet between childhood and adulthood. Differences between marine and terrestrial foods: more reliant on marine foods = higher 13c ratio, growth and development. Must be compared at the same life stage.
