Oxygen Isotopes in Carbonate and Phosphate of Modern Mammal Bioapatite: New Data and Critical Revision after about 25 Years from the First Recognitions

oleh: Paola Iacumin, Mattia Rossi, Enricomaria Selmo, Giampiero Venturelli

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-09-01

Deskripsi

Oxygen and carbon isotopes of well-preserved skeletal remains give relevant support to archaeological and environmental reconstructions. However, the preservation of the skeletal remains must be preliminarily checked. About twenty-five years ago, a diagnostic method based on the oxygen isotope ratio in the phosphate, <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">δ</mi><msub><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>18</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo>/</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>16</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><mrow><mi>Ph</mi></mrow></msub><mo>,</mo></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and carbonate, <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">δ</mi><msub><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>18</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo>/</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>16</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><mrow><mi>Carb</mi></mrow></msub><mo>,</mo></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> of bioapatite of modern mammals was proposed: for well-preserved samples, the <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">δ</mi><msub><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>18</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo>/</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>16</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><mrow><mi>Ph</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">δ</mi><msub><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>18</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo>/</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>16</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><mrow><mi>Carb</mi></mrow></msub><mtext> </mtext></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>should plot near the regression line <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">δ</mi><msub><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>18</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo>/</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>16</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><mrow><mi>Ph</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> on <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">δ</mi><msub><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>18</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo>/</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>16</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><mrow><mi>Carb</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> obtained for modern mammals. In the last twenty years, techniques of analysis have changed. In the past, <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>BiPO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn><mtext> </mtext></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>or <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>Ag</mi></mrow><mn>3</mn></msub><msub><mrow><mi>PO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn><mtext> </mtext></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>were precipitated from dissolved bioapatite and analysed with the fluorination technique, whereas at present, temperature reduction (HTR) in a glassy carbon reactor with <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mrow><mi>CO</mi><mtext> </mtext></mrow></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>release is commonly used. Taking into account the HTR technique, for some modern mammals, we report a new<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mrow><mtext> </mtext><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">δ</mi></mrow><msub><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>18</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo>/</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>16</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><mrow><mi>Ph</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> + 1 on <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mrow><mtext> </mtext><mi mathvariant="sans-serif">δ</mi></mrow><msub><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>18</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo>/</mo><mmultiscripts><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>16</mn></mrow></mmultiscripts><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><mrow><mi>Carb</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> + 1 regression line, and related dispersion of the data that, in addition to mineralogical and structural methods, may be used to select samples reliable for archaeological use. In the past, other similar regression lines on modern mammals were defined by several authors. However, statistical results indicate that data used for these regression lines cannot be pooled because the hypothesis of a similar elevation is rejected.