| Abstract: |
The carbon isotope fractionation between tooth enamel bioapatite, breath CO2, and diet was measured for voles, rabbits, pigs, and cattle on controlled diets. The measured fractionation (expressed as isotope enrichment 3*) between enamel and diet was 11.5G0.3&, 12.8G0.7&, 13.3G0.3&, and 14.6G0.3&for these respective species. There is a 1:1 correlation between 3*breathe diet and 3*enamelediet (r2Z0.94, p!0.01), whereas our data do not resolve significant inter-species differences in 3*enamelebreath. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that inter-species differences in 3*bioapatiteediet are primarily a result of differences in digestive physiology, rather than differences in the magnitude of fractionation between mineral and body fluid.
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