Discussion
The isotopic variability recorded in unaffected inner enamel indicates that variations greater than 0.000200 for 87 Sr/86 Sr and larger than 2‰ for δ18 O and δ13 C are required to demonstrate changes in modern Dutch human diet or geographic location.
Material and methods
This study presents the first systematic
Methods
This study presents the first systematic
Results
Intradental isotopic variation in modern Dutch dental elements was recorded for Sr, O, and C and exceeded the variation introduced by the analytical error. Single loci and bulk sampling approaches of third molars established that a single analysis is only representative of the bulk Sr isotope composition in 60% of the elements analyzed. Dental elements affected by caries showed twice the variation seen in unaffected dental elements. Caries did not consistently incorporate the isotopic composition of the geographical environment in which they developed.