H and O isotopes in bone and tooth protein for paleoenvironmental reconstruction

对过去环境的研究是包括考古学在内的几个学科的重要焦点。这项研究开发了分析工具，使用基于分子的技术重建古环境;特别是，了解从动物骨骼中的蛋白质中分析氢和氧同位素的优势和局限性。地表水中的氢和氧同位素比例随温度和干燥度等环境参数而变化;随后这些原子通过食物和水的摄入进入动物组织，并在某种程度上可用作这些原始环境变量的示踪剂。了解动物骨骼中氢和氧同位素记录的系统学的优势包括：在人类直接使用的地点提供当地环境信息;整合多达五种同位素比率（氢，氧，碳，氮，硫），放射性碳年龄和基于蛋白质的物种鉴定;以及在其他材料（如牙齿）罕见的情况下使用遗产收藏和碎片骨骼样本的能力。这种方法可以应用于世界各地的考古和古生物遗址，其中蛋白质保存在骨骼中。总的来说，这项工作支持和补充了更传统的考古方法来了解过去。这项研究是在博伊西州立大学的稳定同位素实验室进行的，并支持该实验室的基础设施，该实验室是一所服务于地球科学、考古学和生物学的大学设施。外联活动包括参加校园科学和工程开放日以及与年轻部落成员的科学外联活动。该项目有三个主要组成部分。首先，评估中/大型哺乳动物骨蛋白（胶原蛋白）中的氢和氧同位素如何在长时间洞穴遗址中随时间变化，以及它们在古环境重建中的作用，包括与碳和氮同位素和新生成的放射性碳年代的整合。第二，进一步使用肽质量指纹（ZooMS/MALDI-TOF）来鉴定碎骨材料的动物种属。第三，测试这些基于蛋白质的同位素方法与氧和碳同位素在牙釉质等无机硬组织上的作用如何，然后可以比较新旧数据集。该项目还调查了过去几千年来年龄不等的地点，并评估了随着时间的推移多种同位素的变化。现代动物牙齿的连续样本进行了研究，以产生有机蛋白质和无机同位素记录之间的比较。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The study of past environments is an important focus for several disciplines, including archaeology. This research develops analytical tools to reconstruct paleoenvironments using molecular-based techniques; specifically, understanding the strengths and limitations of the analysis of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes from the protein in animal bones. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios in the earth’s surface water vary with environmental parameters like temperature and aridity; subsequently these atoms are incorporated into animal tissues through food and water intake, and to some degree can be used as tracers of those original environmental variables. The advantages of understanding the systematics of hydrogen and oxygen isotopic records in animal bones include providing local environmental information at sites with direct human use; the integration of up to five isotope ratios (hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur), radiocarbon ages, and protein-based species identification; and the ability to use legacy collections and fragmentary bone samples where other materials like teeth are rare. This approach can be applied at archaeological and paleontological sites anywhere worldwide where protein is preserved in bones. Overall this work supports and complements more traditional archaeological approaches to understand the past. This research is conducted in and supports the infrastructure of the Stable Isotope Laboratory at Boise State University, a university facility serving the geosciences, archaeology, and biology. Outreach activities include participation in a campus science and engineering open day and science outreach with young tribal members. This project has three main components. First, assesses how hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in bone protein (collagen) of medium/large mammals change over time at long-duration cave sites and their utility for paleoenvironmental reconstruction, including integration with carbon and nitrogen isotopes and newly-generated radiocarbon dates. Second, furthers the use of peptide mass fingerprinting (ZooMS/MALDI-TOF) to identify the animal species of fragmentary bone material. Third, testing how these protein-based isotopic approaches compare to oxygen and carbon isotopic work on inorganic hard tissues like tooth enamel, which then allows comparison of old and new data sets. This project also investigate sites that range in age over the last few thousands of years and assesses multi-isotopic change over time. Sequential samples of modern faunal teeth are studied to generate comparisons between the organic protein-based and inorganic isotope records.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.