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Tissue-specific incorporation

Definition

The principle that different tissues record isotope signals over different time windows: enamel permanently records childhood; hair records month-by-month recent history; bone records multi-decade averages. Choosing the right tissue for the forensic question is critical.

Related terms

δ18O (delta-18-O)
The ratio of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 in a sample expressed in per-mil deviation from the Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) standard....
δ2H (delta deuterium)
The ratio of deuterium to hydrogen in a sample expressed in per-mil deviation from VSMOW. Covaries with δ18O along the global meteoric...
Global meteoric water line (GMWL)
The linear relationship δ2H = 8 × δ18O + 10 that describes the global co-variation of O and H isotopes in precipitation....
Isoscape
A map of isotope ratio variation across a geographic area, derived from systematic sampling of soil, water, plant, or mineral material; used...
OIPC (Online Isotopes in Precipitation Calculator)
A web-based tool and database compiling the IAEA GNIP station network data and providing interpolated δ18O and δ2H predictions for any geographic...

Explained in

  • Oxygen and Hydrogen IsoscapesThe principle that different tissues record isotope signals over different time windows: enamel permanently records childhood; hair records month-by-month rece...

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