Stable Isotope Signatures in Elk Teeth, Cervus elaphus canadensis: Implications for Paleoenvironment and Archaeology
Waite M. 2023. Stable Isotope Signatures in Elk Teeth, Cervus elaphus canadensis: Implications for Paleoenvironment and Archaeology. University of Georgia
ABSTRACT: Isotope signatures of oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) from herbivore tooth enamel carbonate have been established as useful paleoenvironmental proxies. Elk are abundant in the European and North American archaeological records, making them a valuable taxon for study. In this study, I examine 13 elk, Cervus elaphus canadensis, from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. This herd was reintroduced in the early 2000s and stays within the Cataloochee Valley. This research shows the potential for elk to be used in environmental reconstructions by comparing the isotopes found in the enamel to climate records from the park. The isotopic signatures reflect that elk can be used as a proxy for seasonality, but the signatures are damped by ~50%. Based on this correlation, this can add to the broader knowledge of useful taxa for reconstructions.
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Waite, McKenna
- Date of Issue
- 2023-05
- Publisher
- University of Georgia
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- carbon isotope signatures, Cervus elaphus canadensis, Elk, GRSM-02497, mammals, oxygen isotope sygnatures, seasonality, stabel isotpoes, thesis, tooth enamel