Christine A.M. France’s research while affiliated with Conservation Biology Institute and other places

Stable isotope analysis of museum specimens presents an opportunity to evaluate trophic relationships from historical surveys. After testing the effects of preservation methods on archived specimens, we analyzed beak tissue from 69 Northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) collected between 1873 and 1987 from the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem. Stable nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and carbon (δ¹³C) isotopes were used to infer ecological changes in I. illecebrosus across historical periods spanning the pre-industrial era (late 1800s), subsequent periods of industrial fishing (1930–1960; 1960–1976), and widespread industry regulation (1985–1995). δ¹⁵N values for samples collected in the 1900s were significantly depleted compared to values in the 1800s, with the highest δ¹⁵N values occurring between 1985 and 1995. There was also a significant shift over time to more depleted δ¹³C values. Illex illecebrosus occupied completely distinct isotopic spaces during the pre-industrial (1800s) and industrial (1930–1995) periods, suggesting a change in food-web linkages and habitat use over the last century. Changes in δ¹⁵N indicated a shift to lower trophic-level foraging habits in the 1900’s, while shifts in δ¹³C may be associated with mechanisms such as the Suess effect and increased reliance on more pelagic resources. Isotopic niche breadth and diversity increased in I. illecebrosus over time, potentially indicating expanded resource use associated with anthropogenic impacts on regional trophic guild structure. Our results are the first to examine isotopic changes of I. illecebrosus over multi-decadal periods using museum collections, and among the first to track long-term changes in the trophic role of cephalopods in marine ecosystems.

Stable isotope data have made pivotal contributions to nearly every discipline of the physical and natural sciences. As the generation and application of stable isotope data continues to grow exponentially, so does the need for a unifying data repository to improve accessibility and promote collaborative engagement. This paper provides an overview of the design, development, and implementation of IsoBank (www.isobank.org), a community-driven initiative to create an open-access repository for stable isotope data implemented online in 2021. A central goal of IsoBank is to provide a web-accessible database supporting interdisciplinary stable isotope research and educational opportunities. To achieve this goal, we convened a multi-disciplinary group of over 40 analytical experts, stable isotope researchers, database managers, and web developers to collaboratively design the database. This paper outlines the main features of IsoBank and provides a focused description of the core metadata structure. We present plans for future database and tool development and engagement across the scientific community. These efforts will help facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration among the many users of stable isotopic data while also offering useful data resources and standardization of metadata reporting across eco-geoinformatics landscapes.

Accurate estimation of biological sex in archaeological human remains is critical when considering demographic, resource partitioning, and various sex-based cultural issues in historic societies. Recent developments in paleoproteomics of enamel have allowed for the estimation of biological sex through sex chromosome-linked amelogenins. This method is highly advantageous when traditional osteological sex estimation is precluded by incompleteness, poor preservation, or juvenile age. Here, we have developed Sample Preparation by Easy Extraction and Digestion-free for Enamel (SPEED-E), building on the Sample Preparation by Easy Extraction and Digestion (SPEED) method and direct stage tip clean-up used in paleoproteomic studies. The SPEED-E protocol is similar in extraction time to acid etching protocols, is overall much shorter than digestion-based protocols, and uses relatively less sample. This new method facilitates a rapid analysis of large sample batches where sample value is high and sample material is very limited. Using SPEED-E, we were able to estimate the sex of 85 of 89 deciduous and permanent teeth from the assemblage of archaeological human skeletal remains from the historic First Baptist Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The indeterminate teeth had limited or no detected amelogenins because of overprinting larger proteins, likely from sampled dentin.

The Revolutionary War (1775-1783 CE) was a turning point in American history, as the thirteen colonies separated from England and established themselves as an independent nation. How did the dramatic changes during this period influence the origins and movement of populations living in Philadelphia, a growing urban center and the heart of young America? Were Philadelphians native to the Mid-Atlantic region, migrants from elsewhere in the thirteen colonies, or did they come from somewhere across the Atlantic? To explore population movement from infancy until the last three to five years before death, we undertook a life-course approach and present stable oxygen isotope analyses (18O/16O) on tooth (enamel and dentine), long bone, and rib samples from a subset (n=100) of a Revolutionary-era assemblage from the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia. While four individuals’ phosphate oxygen isotope values are consistent with time spent in the mid-Atlantic region (δ18Ometeoric -9.5 to -7.5 0/00), the remainder spent time outside of this region (p is less than or equal to 0.013), either in their infancy/childhood or adulthood. This data provides new context for the movement of individuals into the emerging urban center of Philadelphia, allowing specific distinction between northern versus southern regional migrants, and European immigrants. Radiogenic strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and lead (206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, 208Pb/204Pb, 206Pb/207Pb, and 207Pb/208Pb) isotope analyses were undertaken on the same samples; preliminary data add additional nuance to individuals’ provenance and mobility. This project examines America’s earliest history as a mosaic of diverse peoples and cultures who travelled to the United States’ urban centers for new opportunities. YouTube Recording of Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQZj-fTgaCE

Ancestral Coast Salish societies in the Pacific Northwest kept long-haired “woolly dogs” that were bred and cared for over millennia. However, the dog wool–weaving tradition declined during the 19th century, and the population was lost. In this study, we analyzed genomic and isotopic data from a preserved woolly dog pelt from “Mutton,” collected in 1859. Mutton is the only known example of an Indigenous North American dog with dominant precolonial ancestry postdating the onset of settler colonialism. We identified candidate genetic variants potentially linked with their distinct woolly phenotype. We integrated these data with interviews from Coast Salish Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and weavers about shared traditional knowledge and memories surrounding woolly dogs, their importance within Coast Salish societies, and how colonial policies led directly to their disappearance.

Human bone fragments were discovered during archaeological monitoring of earth moving on Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia. Later mitigation recovered bones in situ—two skeletons and seven amputated limbs. Interdisciplinary research affords an unusually detailed level of interpretation, including identification of the remains as Union soldiers wounded during the Battle of Second Manassas (28–30 August 1862). The reconstructed narrative includes military and personal markers of identity, as well as causes of death and injury, and establishes a window from 1 to 6 September 1862 when the pit was dug. Records of Union surgeons make future personal identification of the amputated limbs possible and confirm the pit’s location as a key treatment center after Second Manassas, a battle that marked an inflection point for combat military medicine by highlighting the urgent need for improved systematic recovery and treatment of the wounded.

Overfishing is a worldwide occurrence that simplifies marine food webs, changes trophic patterns, and alters community structure, affecting not only the density of harvested species but also their trophic function. The northwestern Atlantic has a history of heavy fishing, and over the past century has also experienced destructive bottom fishing and harmful mobile fishing gear. After confirming that preservation solvent did not alter the nitrogen stable isotopes of preserved samples, we used museum specimens and modern samples to analyze nitrogen stable isotopes in tissues of two common demersal fishes pre-1950 (1850 to 1950) compared to 2021 to assess changes in trophic positions of coastal New England consumers over this time period. Both the mesopredator Centropristis striata (black sea bass) and the benthivore Stenotomus chrysops (scup) experienced significant declines in trophic position during this time. C. striata declined almost a full trophic level, S. chrysops declined half a trophic level, and these species are now occupying almost the same trophic position. Heavy fishing activities potentially shorten food chains, simplify trophic complexity, lessen the separation of trophic niches, and generally flatten food webs. The consequences of these within-species shifts are poorly investigated but could generate underappreciated cascading impacts on community structure and function. Archived natural-history collections are an invaluable resource for investigating ecological changes in natural communities through time. The evaluation of changing trophic positions via stable isotope analysis may allow fisheries managers to quantify large-scale effects of fishing on ecosystems and food webs over time.

Invasive apple snails negatively impact non-native habitats and human well-being. Here, the trophic position of Pomacea canaliculata in native habitats (Maldonado, Uruguay) and non-native habitats (Hangzhou, China and Hawaii, USA) are compared. Detritus samples and tissue samples from apple snails were collected in all sites. Trophic levels were calculated as the difference between the mean δ15N values of detritus samples and corresponding apple snail tissue samples, divided by the mean δ15N fractionation for nitrogen per trophic level in freshwater habitats. The mean δ15N values of detritus in sites served as a baseline (i.e., zero trophic level), allowing direct comparisons. Linear regression analysis established a correlation between species evenness and apple snail trophic level (R2 = 0.8602) in line with a Pearson’s product-moment correlation value (−0.83) and 95% confidence interval (−0.87, −0.77). Normal quartile plots indicated two normally distributed subsets of apple snail trophic-level data: (1) a biodiverse subset containing the Uruguayan and Chinese lake sites and (2) the homogenized Hawaiian and Chinese creek sites. A precipice value for species evenness (separating biodiversity from homogenization), between (3.7) and (2.4), once descended to or surpassed separates statistically distinct, normal distributions of invasive apple snail trophic-level data from diverse versus homogenized habitats.

A multimethod archaeometry study (zooarchaeological, isotopic, ancient DNA, paleobotanical, and radiocarbon dating) of a spider monkey sacrificed in the ceremonial center of Teotihuacan, Mexico (1 to 550 CE) is interpreted as a diplomatic gift exchange with neighboring Maya. Not only does this spider monkey provide the earliest known instance of primate translocation and captivity in Mesoamerica, it helps date incipient modes of interregional diplomacy between two major powers during Early Classic Mesoamerica: Teotihuacan and the Maya. Details of human-primate interaction include age at capture and transport (before ∼3 y of age), captive duration (over 2 y), anthropogenic diet (staple was maize, though secondary resources unique to anthropogenic diet including arrowroot and chili pepper were also found), context of sacrifice (tethered and associated with complete golden eagle and an array of other statecrafts), and general site context (including presence of Maya vessels and Maya-style murals). The timing of the spider monkey's sacrifice (250 to 300 CE) and its life history suggest a reconsideration of epigraphically attested militaristic involvement of Teotihuacan at certain Maya sites. We propose that a period of more multilateral and fluid ritual exchange with Maya dignitaries preceded the Teotihuacan state's eventual ascent to prominence.