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Stable isotope ratio analysis (C, N, S) of hair from modern humans in Ethiopia shows clear differences related to subsistence regimes

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Abstract

We measured the stable isotope ratios (C, N, S) of modern human hair collected from 49 people in rural southern Ethiopia to characterize and compare the stable isotope signatures of interacting and ethnically distinct populations with differing economic practices (farmers, pastoralists, fishers) in order to determine if the dietary differences are visible and measurable in their hair isotope values. We found that there were significant differences in all three elements that can distinguish these economic practices (carbon: Χ2 = 8.523, p = 0.014; nitrogen: Χ2 = 35.372, p < 0.001; and sulfur: Χ2 = 30.887, p < 0.001). These results demonstrate the utility of isotopic methods as an indicator of dietary difference in living populations and shows that diverse dietary adaptations and economies even among interacting and neighboring peoples can be distinguished in this region of Ethiopia.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Reba Macdonald, Olaf Nehlich, David Pokotylo and Liz Jarvis for laboratory and analytical assistance.

Funding

This project was funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the University of British Columbia. The research was supported by Southern Methodist University and Hawassa University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada

    Catherine G. Cooper

  2. Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, 75275, USA

    Karen D. Lupo & Dave N. Schmitt

  3. Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 50933, USA

    Ashenafi G. Zena

  4. Hawassa University, Awassa, Ethiopia

    Ashenafi G. Zena

  5. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

    Michael P. Richards

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  1. Catherine G. Cooper
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The proposal for this study was submitted to the IRB ethics board at Southern Methodist University in December 2012 and accepted. Individuals who provided hair samples for this study confirmed their understanding of the study and gave verbal consent.

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Cooper, C.G., Lupo, K.D., Zena, A.G. et al. Stable isotope ratio analysis (C, N, S) of hair from modern humans in Ethiopia shows clear differences related to subsistence regimes. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 11, 3213–3223 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-018-0740-5

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