Comment on “Ecological niche of Neanderthals from Spy Cave revealed by nitrogen isotopes of individual amino acids in collagen.”
Accepted version
Peer-reviewed
Repository URI
Repository DOI
Change log
Authors
O'Connell, TC
Collins, MJ
Abstract
We welcome Naito et al.'s recent efforts to gain greater information about the diet and ecological niche of Neanderthals, through compound-specific amino acid nitrogen isotopic analysis of bone collagen from Neanderthal remains from Spy Cave in Belgium as well as of specimens of contemporary animal species (Naito et al., 2016a). The application of a relatively novel technique (see: Styring et al., 2010, Chikaraishi et al., 2014, McMahon and McCarthy, 2016) is not without its problems, and we would like to provide a critical comment on the implications of uncertainties for the interpretation and application of this method, and on analytical aspects of this technique.
Description
Keywords
compound-specific nitrogen isotope analysis, ecological niche, trophic position, trophic discrimination factor, proline, hydroxyproline
Journal Title
Journal of Human Evolution
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
0047-2484
1095-8606
1095-8606
Volume Title
117
Publisher
Academic Press
Publisher DOI
Sponsorship
Directorate for Biological Sciences (1547414)
None