Exploring the potential of multi-tissue sulphur and strontium isotope analysis and isoscape modelling to reconstruct past faunal movements

探索多组织硫和锶同位素分析和等景观建模重建过去动物群运动的潜力

• 批准号: 2436026
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Aberdeen
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2436026
• 关键词: Exploring; potential; multi; tissue; sulphur

The reconstruction of the lifetime movements of archaeological animals can provide us with unique perspectives on past human societies and - when involving wild species - can also provide valuable insights into ancient ecosystems. Obtaining direct evidence of movement patterns in archaeofaunas can illuminate human hunting behaviours and landscape use, and changes in animal husbandry and subsistence practices, but can also be used to explore conservation and plasticity in behaviour through time and - significantly - advance our understanding of the impact of environmental change on faunal communities (Britton, 2018).Strontium isotope analysis is increasingly being used in archaeology and palaeoecology to better understand animal migratory behaviours in the past (e.g. Gigleux et al., 2019), and the active integration of intra-tooth strontium approaches with spatial modelling ('isoscapes') may provide higher resolution insights. Sulphur isotopes also have great potential to help us better understand faunal movements but are comparatively underused, and sulphur isotope variability across landscapes is poorly understood and characterised (Nehlich, 2015).Through a series of modern and archaeological case studies and utilising the sampling of environmental materials (soils, plants), teeth (incremental enamel and dentinal collagen) and bone (bulk collagen), this project will advance the application of these methodologies in archaeology and palaeoecology by providing important proof-of-concept and application data exploring the complementary of these approaches to reconstructing the life-time and intra-annual movements of ungulates.Research will be two phased and will initially comprise of modern experimental research in North America and Scotland, including the generating of new sulphur isotope data from diverse environmental and faunal samples, and isoscape modelling. The use of faunal materials of known lifetime movement, such as migratory caribou, will permit an enhanced understanding of the relationship between these movements and isotope data, and the testing of methodologies. Archaeological and palaeontological applications will focus on early Pleistocene South Africa, late Pleistocene France and late Pleistocene-Holocene Scotland.The project will be supervised primarily by Dr Kate Britton, whose expertise lies in the application of isotope analysis to the reconstruction of human and faunal movements. Co-supervision will be provided by Dr Neil Ogle, an expert in geochemistry and mass spectrometry. Additional support will be provided through scientific and archaeological collaborators. Applicants will be expected to have some background in zooarchaeology, palaeoecology and/ or stable isotope analysis. The project will include training in all necessary skills including environmental sampling techniques, stable isotope analysis (including sample preparation, data generation and analysis), isoscape modelling and data handling. Isotope analyses will be undertaken at QUB and Aberdeen, and with additional project partners (e.g. the James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen).

考古动物一生运动的重建可以为我们提供关于过去人类社会的独特视角，并且-当涉及野生物种时-也可以提供对古代生态系统的宝贵见解。获得古动物运动模式的直接证据可以阐明人类狩猎行为和景观利用，以及畜牧业和生计做法的变化，但也可以用来探索随着时间的推移行为的保护和可塑性，并大大促进我们对环境变化对动物群落影响的理解。（布里顿，2018年）。锶同位素分析越来越多地用于考古学和古生态学，以更好地了解过去的动物迁移行为（例如Gigleux等人，2019），以及牙内锶方法与空间建模（“isoscape”）的积极整合可以提供更高分辨率的见解。硫同位素在帮助我们更好地了解动物群活动方面也有很大的潜力，但相对而言，硫同位素的使用不足，而且对景观中硫同位素的变化了解和特征也很少（Nehlich，2015年）。通过一系列现代和考古案例研究，并利用环境材料的采样，（土壤，植物），牙齿（增加牙釉质和牙本质胶原蛋白）和骨（散装胶原蛋白），该项目将通过提供重要的证据，促进这些方法在考古学和古生态学中的应用，研究将分两个阶段进行，最初将包括在北美和苏格兰进行的现代实验研究，包括从各种环境和动物样本中生成新的硫同位素数据，以及建立等尺度模型。利用已知终生活动的动物材料，如迁徙驯鹿，将有助于更好地了解这些活动与同位素数据之间的关系，并有助于测试各种方法。考古学和古生物学应用将集中在更新世早期的南非、更新世晚期的法国和更新世晚期-全新世的苏格兰。该项目将主要由Kate布里顿博士监督，他的专长是将同位素分析应用于重建人类和动物运动。地球化学和质谱专家Neil Ogle博士将提供共同监督。将通过科学和考古合作者提供额外支持。申请人应具备动物考古学、古生态学和/或稳定同位素分析方面的背景。该项目将包括所有必要技能方面的培训，包括环境取样技术、稳定同位素分析（包括样品制备、数据生成和分析）、等尺度建模和数据处理。同位素分析将在昆士兰大学和阿伯丁进行，并与其他项目合作伙伴（例如阿伯丁的詹姆斯赫顿研究所）合作。