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dc.contributor.authorHeddell-Stevens, Phoebe
dc.contributor.authorJöris, Olaf
dc.contributor.authorBritton, Kate
dc.contributor.authorMatthies, Tim
dc.contributor.authorLucas, Mary Alexis
dc.contributor.authorScott, Erin
dc.contributor.authorLe Roux, Petrus
dc.contributor.authorMeller, Harald
dc.contributor.authorRoberts, Patrick
dc.date.accessioned2024-09-26T08:33:51Z
dc.date.available2024-09-26T08:33:51Z
dc.date.issued2024-05-14
dc.description.abstractInterpretations of Late Pleistocene hominin adaptative capacities by archaeologists have focused heavily on their exploitation of certain prey and documented contemporary behaviours for these species. However, we cannot assume that animal prey-taxa ecology and ethology were the same in the past as in the present, or were constant over archaeological timescales. Sequential isotope analysis of herbivore teeth has emerged as a particularly powerful method of directly reconstructing diet, ecology and mobility patterns on sub-annual scales. Here, we apply <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr isotope analysis, in combination with δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>13</sup>C isotope analysis, to sequentially sampled tooth enamel of prevalent herbivore species that populated Europe during the Last Glacial Period, including Rangifer tarandus, Equus sp. and Mammuthus primigenius. Our samples come from two open-air archaeological sites in Central Germany, Königsaue and Breitenbach, associated with Middle Palaeolithic and early Upper Palaeolithic cultures, respectively. We identify potential inter- and intra-species differences in range size and movement through time, contextualised through insights into diet and the wider environment. However, homogeneous bioavailable <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr across large parts of the study region prevented the identification of specific migration routes. Finally, we discuss the possible influence of large-herbivore behaviour on hominin hunting decisions at the two sites.en_US
dc.identifier.citationHeddell-Stevens, Jöris, Britton, Matthies, Lucas, Scott, Le Roux, Meller, Roberts. Multi-isotope reconstruction of Late Pleistocene large-herbivore biogeography and mobility patterns in Central Europe. Communications Biology. 2024;7(1)
dc.identifier.cristinIDFRIDAID 2271368
dc.identifier.doi10.1038/s42003-024-06233-2
dc.identifier.issn2399-3642
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10037/34875
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherSpringer Natureen_US
dc.relation.journalCommunications Biology
dc.rights.holderCopyright 2024 The Author(s)en_US
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0en_US
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)en_US
dc.titleMulti-isotope reconstruction of Late Pleistocene large-herbivore biogeography and mobility patterns in Central Europeen_US
dc.type.versionpublishedVersionen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.typeTidsskriftartikkelen_US
dc.typePeer revieweden_US


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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)