Reconstruction of travel history using coupled δ18 O and 87 Sr/86 Sr measurements of hair.
Abstract: Oxygen isotope ratios (δ O values) of hair largely reflect features of regional hydrology while strontium isotope ratios ( Sr/ Sr) are thought to reflect bedrock geology; combination of both isotope signatures may provide greater capacity for determining provenance and reconstructing travel history of an organism. To test this hypothesis, we compared the O-Sr isotope profiles of hair from domestic horses with known residency histories. Methods: Tail hairs were collected from a pair of horses pastured together for a period of 16 months, one of which lived in a different location for the 8 months prior. Hair samples were washed with solvents to remove external contaminants prior to sequential sampling for δ O and Sr/ Sr analysis via TC/EA-IRMS and MC-ICP-MS, respectively. Hair digests were concentrated and analyzed employing low-flow natural aspiration to measure Sr/ Sr. Results: Tail hair from the control and transported horses had mean δ O values of 11.25 ± 1.62 ‰ and 10.96 ± 1.53 ‰, and mean Sr/ Sr of 0.7101 ± 0.0006 and 0.7109 ± 0.0020, respectively. The δ O and Sr/ Sr profiles for the control and transported horses were indistinguishable when they were pastured together. The Sr/ Sr profiles were significantly different during the period that the horses were living apart, while the δ O values were indistinguishable during that period. Conclusions: By comparing the O-Sr isotope profiles of a control and transported horse, we investigated isotopic signal(s) potentially useful for reconstructing travel histories via high-resolution sequential sampling along single strands of tail hair. Improved analytical capabilities allowed for extremely low Sr abundance samples to be analyzed for Sr/ Sr and proved capable of resolving a horse's movement between distinct regions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Publication Date: 2017-01-08 PubMed ID: 28063236DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7822Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The study investigates the use of oxygen and strontium isotope ratios detected in horse hair to reconstruct the animals’ past movements and geographical location history, demonstrating promising results that improve upon previous analytical capabilities.
Research Purpose
- The research aims at determining whether the combination of oxygen isotope ratios (δ O values) and strontium isotope ratios ( Sr/ Sr) in horse hair can help pinpoint the provenance or origin, and trace the travel history of the horse. This is based on the hypothesis that the δ O values reflect features of regional hydrology (water source and climate) and Sr/ Sr reflects bedrock geology (soil and topography).
Methods
- The research team collected tail hairs from two horses that had been pastured together for 16 months, with one horse living in a different location for the 8 months prior.
- The hair samples were cleaned with solvents to eliminate external contamination and then sequentially analyzed for δ O and Sr/ Sr via various analytical techniques.
Results
- The analysis indicated that the δ O and Sr/ Sr profiles for the pair of horses were similar when they were pastured together, suggesting a similar hydrology and geology.
- However, the Sr/ Sr profiles were significantly different for the period where one horse lived in a different location, indicating a difference in soil compositions. Interestingly, their δ O values remained indistinguishable even when the horses lived apart, pointing out that the hydrological conditions may have been the same in both places.
Conclusion
- Through a comparison of the oxygen and strontium isotope profiles in horse hair, this research establishes a potentially useful method for reconstructing travel histories for organisms.
- Improved analytical methods used in the study show effective results in detecting very low-abundance strontium samples, demonstrating that this technique is capable of outlining an organism’s movement between distinct regions based on the Sr/ Sr values.
Cite This Article
APA
Chau TH, Tipple BJ, Hu L, Fernandez DP, Cerling TE, Ehleringer JR, Chesson LA.
(2017).
Reconstruction of travel history using coupled δ18 O and 87 Sr/86 Sr measurements of hair.
Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 31(6), 583-589.
https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.7822 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- IsoForensics, Inc., 421 Wakara Way, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
- IsoForensics, Inc., 421 Wakara Way, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
- IsoForensics, Inc., 421 Wakara Way, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
- IsoForensics, Inc., 421 Wakara Way, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
- IsoForensics, Inc., 421 Wakara Way, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Carbon Isotopes / analysis
- Hair / chemistry
- Horses
- Mass Spectrometry / methods
- Oxygen Isotopes / analysis
- Strontium Isotopes / analysis
- Travel
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Bataille CP, Ammer STM, Bhuiyan S, Chartrand MMG, St-Jean G, Bowen GJ. Multi-isotopes in human hair: A tool to initiate cross-border collaboration in international cold-cases. PLoS One 2022;17(10):e0275902.
- Bataille CP, Chartrand MMG, Raposo F, St-Jean G. Assessing geographic controls of hair isotopic variability in human populations: A case-study in Canada. PLoS One 2020;15(8):e0237105.
- Hu L, Fernandez DP, Cerling TE, Tipple BJ. Fast exchange of strontium between hair and ambient water: Implication for isotopic analysis in provenance and forensic studies. PLoS One 2020;15(5):e0233712.
- Hu L, Fernandez DP, Cerling TE. Longitudinal and transverse variation of trace element concentrations in elephant and giraffe hair: implication for endogenous and exogenous contributions. Environ Monit Assess 2018 Oct 18;190(11):644.
- Chesson LA, Barnette JE, Bowen GJ, Brooks JR, Casale JF, Cerling TE, Cook CS, Douthitt CB, Howa JD, Hurley JM, Kreuzer HW, Lott MJ, Martinelli LA, O'Grady SP, Podlesak DW, Tipple BJ, Valenzuela LO, West JB. Applying the principles of isotope analysis in plant and animal ecology to forensic science in the Americas. Oecologia 2018 Aug;187(4):1077-1094.
- Tipple BJ, Valenzuela LO, Ehleringer JR. Strontium isotope ratios of human hair record intra-city variations in tap water source. Sci Rep 2018 Feb 20;8(1):3334.
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