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Freshwater wetland–driven variation in sulfur isotope compositions: Implications for human paleodiet and ecological research

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-07-17, 15:06 authored by EJ Guiry, TJ Orchard, S Needs-Howarth, P Szpak
Sulfur isotope (δ34S) analyses are an important archaeological and ecological tool for understanding human and animal migration and diet, but δ34S can be difficult to interpret, particularly in archaeological human-mobility studies, when measured isotope compositions are strongly 34S-depleted relative to regional baselines. Sulfides, which accumulate under anoxic conditions and have distinctively low δ34S, are potentially key for understanding this but are often overlooked in studies of vertebrate δ34S. We analyze an ecologically wide range of archaeological taxa to build an interpretive framework for understanding the impact of sulfide-influenced δ34S on vertebrate consumers. Results provide the first demonstration that δ34S of higher-level consumers can be heavily impacted by freshwater wetland resource use. This source of δ34S variation is significant because it is linked to a globally distributed habitat and occurs at the bottom of the δ34S spectrum, which, for archaeologists, is primarily used for assessing human mobility. Our findings have significant implications for rethinking traditional interpretive frameworks of human mobility and diet, and for exploring the historical ecology of past freshwater wetland ecosystems. Given the tremendous importance of wetlands’ ecosystem services today, such insights on the structure and human dynamics of past wetlands could be valuable for guiding restoration work.

Funding

Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant

History

Author affiliation

SS/AH: Archaeology & Ancient History

Version

  • VoR (Version of Record)

Published in

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

Volume

10

Pagination

(12)

Publisher

Frontiers Media

issn

2296-701X

eissn

2296-701X

Copyright date

2022

Available date

2023-07-17

Language

English