Interpretation of del-13C Values from Vertebrate Remains of the Alexander Archipelago, Southeast Alaska

Résumé

A marmot incisor from Devil's Canopy Cave, reported by Heaton (1995), has a del-13C value of -23.7%. This indicates a terrestrial plant diet, as would be expected for this species. The unusually low del-13C value might be due to the tooth sample, though continuously-growing teeth like rodent incisors are generally not depleted in 13C as are rooted teeth (Bocherens et al. 1994). Since the age of this tooth is beyond the range of radiocarbon dating, no specific environmental interpretation can be made.