title: A new method for relative Sr determination in human teeth enamel.
abstract: We present a new method to determine Sr/Ca changes in hard dental tissues based on laser ablation and spectroscopic detection. By using femtosecond Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (fs-LIBS), we micro mapped the relative amount of strontium in the enamel of three human lower third molar. We also analyzed the Sr/Ca ratio along the striae of Retzius. Results show that microlibs allows detection of variation in relative Sr/Ca ratio through enamel. The same values of Sr/Ca ratio were found along a single stria. The method has a precision better than 95% and is sensitive enough to detect Sr/Ca ratio variations among striae and within stria. Fs-LIBS generates information in a fast and simple way that can be used by non-specialists to make inferences about diet or mobility in human populations and fossil hominids.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Opticas, (CONICET La Plata, CIC), CC 124, 1900, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alvira
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ramirez Rozzi
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Torchia
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roso
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bilmes
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000885:Anthropology, Physical; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000737:chemistry*; D005580:Fossils; D006801:Humans; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013324:Strontium / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium; D013324:Strontium