The purpose of this study is to identify the currently supported diet and dietary niches of the Malagasy subfossil and extant lemurs. The study was conducted partially in Tsinjoarivo and Antananarivo, Madagascar in the summer of 2013. Samples were analyzed and microwear determined that the dietary niches were aligned with current literature. Grit accumulation occurs more frequently in disturbed habitats and on lower canopy levels, which suggests that human manipulation of environment can impact the dental microwear of living primates.

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This study utilizes stable isotope and dental microwear analyses to elucidate diet and subsistence practices of indigenous Muchik peoples interred at two sites in the Lambayeque region of northern Peru: La Capilla Santa María Magdalena De Eten (CSMME) (n=17) and La Capilla Del Niño Serranito (CNS) (n=18). Burials at CNS date to the Early Colonial Period (A.D. 1533-1620), while burials at CSMME date to the Mid- to Late-Colonial Period (A.D. 1625-1760). Dental microwear and stable isotope investigations reveal a highly correlated dietary profile across both sites, which suggests consistent subsistence practices across the Colonial Period, insofar as can be measured using these techniques. However, there is significant differences between CNS and CSMME in dental microwear features indicating the foods consumed by all members at each site—since sex and age are not significantly different between the two sites—is perhaps attributable to the influence of Spanish colonial rule to the degree to which these dental microwear features capture larger patterns in these two populations. Although samples sizes are limited, at CNS, the frequency of fine scratches and small pits increase with age and coarse scratches decrease between childhood and adolescence, indicative of transitions in diet or the use of the teeth during the maturation. Further, statistical inquiry found no significant dental microwear differences between site, age, or sex in the studied populations.

The aim of this work was to characterize the diet of a Merovingian population sample and examine if apparent differences in grave good assemblages of Merovingian burials and transfromation of this funerary rite during 6th and 7th centuries were reflected in diet. Dietary composition was assessed using a carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of 74 bone collagen samples from adults buried at an early medieval cemetery of le-Norroy-le-Veneur, France. Results showed diet based primarily on C3 plants, supplemented with animal protein in a range similar to other contemporary sites. No significant contribution of C4 plants (e.g. millet) or marine-derived protein has been detected and neither has δ15 N dependency on status, sex or datation been found. However, persons with rich grave good assemblages had significantly higher δ13 C than low-ranking individuals. Also, during the time of use of the cemetery there has been a population-wide decrease of 0,33 ‰ in mean value of δ13 C, independent of social status or sex. Results indicate that dietary differentiation steaming from social stratification was only in its early phase of formation, slowly following a progressive rise in power of the Merovingian nobility, and the general subsistence was affected by another independent change in society, most...

This study is focused on dietary reconstruction according to stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen in bone and tooth collagen. The material used for this study is represented by set of 46 skeletons of adult individuals from 6th church's burial site in Mikulčice, which belong to the Great Moravian era (9th -10th century). Isotopic values are discussed in relation to the formation of social roles and health status. The presence and eventually degree of severity of some non-specific stress indicators and pathologies (Cribra orbitalia, presence of tooth caries, caries intensity, linear enamel hypoplasias, dental wear and length od femur) was observed. The results of isotopic analysis suggest, that diet in this population sample was based on terrestrial sources, both animal and plant protein. Plants in Great Moravian diet belonged to C3 and C4 group. C4 group of plants in Mikulčice was represented by millet (Panicum miliaceum), which supports the hypothesis of "Millet - typical crop of old Slavs" (Reitsema and Kozlowski, 2013). Millet was consumed mainly in childhood. Significant differences between diets of high social class and rest of population was found with people of higher social rank consuming more animal protein. These differences were created in childhood and persisted to adulthood....

The Muisca people of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia had an exceptionally complex diet, which is the result of specific subsistence strategies, environmental advantages, and social restrictions. The distinct varieties of microclimates, caused by the sharp elevations in this part of the Andes, allows for a great biodiversity of plants and animals that was accessible to the native population. The crops of domesticated and adopted plants of the Muisca include a wide variety of tubers, cereals, fruits, and leaves that are described in detail in this thesis. The Muisca used an agricultural method known as microverticality where the different thermic floors are utilized to grow an impressive variety of species at various elevations and climates. This group also domesticated the guinea pig, controlled deer populations and possibly practiced pisiculture, patterns that are also described in this text. Some of the foods of the Muisca were restricted to specific social groups, such as the consumption of deer and maize by the chiefly classes and the consumption of roots and tubers by the lower class, hence the complexity of their dietary practices. The utensils utilized in the preparation and processing of foods, including ceramics and stone tools were once of extreme importance in the evolution of the Muisca diet and form an important part of this research as well as the culinary methods that are described in the Spanish chronicles and by contemporary experts. The majority of food products utilized by the Muisca in antiquity are still part of the diet of contemporary Colombians and the current uses of these foods can allow us to understand how these products were used by this pre-Columbian society. On the other hand, knowledge of the practices used by the Muisca can facilitate the preservation of these foods in the modern diet and avoid the introduction and replacement of these foods by nonnative products, which can be less nutritious.