Cover Page
The handle
http://hdl.handle.net/1887/87893
holds various files of this Leiden University
dissertation.
Author:
Kuitems, M.
Title:
Analysis of 13C and 15N isotopes from Eurasian Quaternary fossils: Insights in
diet, climate and ecology
A n a l y s i s o f
1 3C a n d
1 5N i s o t o p e s
f r o m E u r a s i a n Q u a t e r n a r y f o s s i l s
In sig h ts in d ie t, c lim a te a n d e c o lo g y
Proefschrift ter verkrijging van
de graad van Doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden, op gezag van Rector Magnificus prof.mr. C.J.J.M. Stolker,
volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties te verdedigen op donderdag 14 mei 2020
klokke 13.45 uur
door
Margot Kuitems geboren te Houten
Supervisors
Prof. dr. T. van Kolfschoten (Leiden University) Prof. dr. J. van der Plicht (University of Groningen) Assessment committee
Prof. dr. J. Kolen (Leiden University) Prof. dr. M. Soressi (Leiden University) Prof. dr. J.W.M. Roebroeks (Leiden University)
Prof. dr. A.M. Lister (Natural History Museum London, United Kingdom)
Dr. A.N. Tikhonov (Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia)
Dr. L. Llorente Rodriguez (Leiden University)
Cover: original picture by Loes Visser
Layout: Visser Visible Communication | www.visservisible.com Print: Ridderprint | www.ridderprint.nl
An electronic version of this dissertation is available at the Leiden University Repository (https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl)
Contents
1 Introduction 6
1.1 Research foci 9
1.2 Research objectives 11
1.3 Outline of the thesis 14
2 Stable isotopes: principles and analytical methods 18
2.1 Introduction 21
2.2 Fundamentals of stable isotope analysis 21
2.3 Principal concepts of the application of stable carbon and nitrogen analysis in archaeological research
23 2.4 Isotope measurements at the Centre for Isotope Research (CIO), Groningen 29 2.5 Application of stable isotope analysis from an historical perspective 30
3 Woolly mammoth δ13C and δ15N values from North-eastern Siberia 33
3.1 Introduction 35
3.2 Material and methods 37
3.3 Results 38
3.4 Discussion 41
3.5 Conclusion 45
4 Fossil bones from the North Sea: stable isotopes 48
4.1 Introduction 51
4.2 Material and methods 53
4.3 Results 56
4.4 Discussion 57
4.5 Conclusion 63
5 Stable isotopes of the Siberian unicorn 66
5.1 Introduction 69
5.2 Material and Methods 73
6 Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of bone collagen from Schöningen 80
6.1 Introduction 83
6.2 Materials and methods 85
6.3 Results and discussion 86
6.4 Conclusions 95
7 Discussion and Synthesis 96
7.1 High δ15N values observed in proboscidean tissues 99
7.2 Looking for a model of the past 103
7.3 The fatal blow for woolly mammoths 106
Summarising conclusions 110 Samenvatting 114 References 120 Suplementary Information 144 Table SI Chapter 3.1 144 Table SI Chapter 3.2 148 Table SI Chapter 4 150 SI Chapter 7 161 Ackowledgements 166
About the author 170
