Element Analysis Using (FE) SEM-EDS in Primate Dental Enamel
Open Access DepositedThe goal of this study is to investigate the reliability of differential element composition analysis methods in identifying hard tissue proxies for early-life dietary transitions, such as weaning. Recent advances in dental trace element analysis have provided us with many different yet promising methodological approaches to chemically assess weaning timelines, such as Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). These methods are unique in that they have the added capacity to measure absolute elemental concentrations with high spatial-temporal resolution, allowing for linear reconstructions of elemental composition dynamics and their behavioral correlates. This study focuses on testing the capabilities of SEM-EDS analysis in examining patterned changes in major and minor elemental concentrations within enamel in hopes of producing preliminary data on the reliability of these proxies in reconstructing early-life dietary transitions and their potential use for studying weaning in the past.
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