title: Record of Nile seasonality in Nubian neonates.
abstract: The oxygen isotope compositions of bones (n = 11) and teeth (n = 20) from 12 Sudanese individuals buried on Sai Island (Nubia) were analysed to investigate the registration of the evolution of the Nile environment from 3700 to 500 years BP and the potential effects of ontogeny on the oxygen isotope ratios. The isotopic compositions were converted into the composition of drinking water, ultimately originating from the Nile. δ18O values decrease during ontogeny; this is mainly related to breastfeeding and physiology. Those of neonates present very large variations. Neonates have a very high bone turnover and are thus able to record seasonal δ18O variations of the Nile waters. These variations followed a pattern very similar to the present one. Nile δ18O values increased from 1.4 to 4.4 ‰ (Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water) from the Classic Kerma (∼3500 BP) through the Christian period (∼1000 BP), traducing a progressive drying of Northeast Africa.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon LGL-TPE, UMR CNRS 5276, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Villeurbanne , France.|h Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, CEREGE UM34 , Aix-en-Provence , France.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: b PACEA, UMR CNRS 5199, Université de Bordeaux , Pessac , France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maureille
authors.affiliation: a Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon LGL-TPE, UMR CNRS 5276, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Villeurbanne , France.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Amiot
authors.affiliation: c LSCE, UMR 8212, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ , Gif-sur-Yvette , France.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Touzeau
authors.affiliation: d Université de Bourgogne, Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS 6282 , Dijon , France.|e Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Laboratoire EPHE PALEVO , Dijon , France.
authors.forename: Aurélien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Royer
authors.affiliation: a Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon LGL-TPE, UMR CNRS 5276, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Villeurbanne , France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fourel
authors.affiliation: f Institut Lumière Matière, UMR5306, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1-CNRS, Université de Lyon , Villeurbanne , France.
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Panczer
authors.affiliation: g LBBE, UMR CNRS 5558, Université de Lyon 1 , Faculté de Médecine Lyon-Sud , Villeurbanne , France.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Flandrois
authors.affiliation: a Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon LGL-TPE, UMR CNRS 5276, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Villeurbanne , France.|i Institut Universitaire de France , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lécuyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001031:Apatites / Q000032:analysis; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D057231:Climate Change / Q000266:history*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005333:Fetus / Q000737:chemistry; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012621:Seasons; D013397:Sudan; D014070:Tooth / Q000737:chemistry*; D014872:Water Movements; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001031:Apatites; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D010710:Phosphates
keywords: Aridity; Nubia; Sudan; bones; isotope ecology; oxygen-18; paleoanthropology; paleoenvironment; seasonality; teeth; weaning