Chemometric analysis of EDXRF measurements from fossil bone

dc.contributor.authorThomas, Daniel B
dc.contributor.authorChinsamy, Anusuya
dc.date.accessioned2016-07-28T11:18:54Z
dc.date.available2016-07-28T11:18:54Z
dc.date.issued2011
dc.date.updated2016-07-12T14:14:27Z
dc.description.abstractBone chemistry is an important source of biological and environmental information. Elemental compositions of archaeological and fossil bone have granted insight into the diets of ancient humans and other animals, as well as informing about the burial conditions of bone. Chemical studies of ancient bone can be performed non-destructively with portable energy-dispersive Xray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometers, which is particularly advantageous for on-site analyses of museum specimens. Portable EDXRF instruments carry some analytical disadvantages, however, which may result in reduced precision or accuracy. Analytical shortfalls may be overcome by analysing inter-sample trends in EDXRF spectral data instead of reported concentration measurements. We investigated the utility of statistically treating handheld EDXRF spectra from fossil bone and teeth, specifically the normalisation and mean centering of spectral data before principal component analysis. Fossil bone and tooth specimens were sourced from two Pleistocene localities in the Western Cape of South Africa, Swartklip 1 and Elandsfontein Main. Samples from the two localities could be distinguished using principal component score values, and coefficient loadings allowed chemical interpretation of the score clusters. Swartklip 1 samples were associated with elevated concentrations of Ca, indicating an additional Ca-bearing mineral (i.e. calcite), whereas Elandsfontein Main samples were associated with elevated Fe and Sr concentrations. Fossil bone chemistry could be related to groundwater percolation through the sedimentary matrices of each locality. The methodology behind the case study presented here could readily be applied elsewhere and would be particularly useful to handheld EDXRF studies of museum specimensen_ZA
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1002/xrs.1364
dc.identifier.apacitationThomas, D. B., & Chinsamy, A. (2011). Chemometric analysis of EDXRF measurements from fossil bone. <i>X-Ray Spectrometry</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20927en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationThomas, Daniel B, and Anusuya Chinsamy "Chemometric analysis of EDXRF measurements from fossil bone." <i>X-Ray Spectrometry</i> (2011) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20927en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationThomas, D. B., & Chinsamy, A. (2011). Chemometric analysis of EDXRF measurements from fossil bone. X‐Ray Spectrometry, 40(6), 441-445.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0049-8246en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Thomas, Daniel B AU - Chinsamy, Anusuya AB - Bone chemistry is an important source of biological and environmental information. Elemental compositions of archaeological and fossil bone have granted insight into the diets of ancient humans and other animals, as well as informing about the burial conditions of bone. Chemical studies of ancient bone can be performed non-destructively with portable energy-dispersive Xray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometers, which is particularly advantageous for on-site analyses of museum specimens. Portable EDXRF instruments carry some analytical disadvantages, however, which may result in reduced precision or accuracy. Analytical shortfalls may be overcome by analysing inter-sample trends in EDXRF spectral data instead of reported concentration measurements. We investigated the utility of statistically treating handheld EDXRF spectra from fossil bone and teeth, specifically the normalisation and mean centering of spectral data before principal component analysis. Fossil bone and tooth specimens were sourced from two Pleistocene localities in the Western Cape of South Africa, Swartklip 1 and Elandsfontein Main. Samples from the two localities could be distinguished using principal component score values, and coefficient loadings allowed chemical interpretation of the score clusters. Swartklip 1 samples were associated with elevated concentrations of Ca, indicating an additional Ca-bearing mineral (i.e. calcite), whereas Elandsfontein Main samples were associated with elevated Fe and Sr concentrations. Fossil bone chemistry could be related to groundwater percolation through the sedimentary matrices of each locality. The methodology behind the case study presented here could readily be applied elsewhere and would be particularly useful to handheld EDXRF studies of museum specimens DA - 2011 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town J1 - X-Ray Spectrometry LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2011 SM - 0049-8246 T1 - Chemometric analysis of EDXRF measurements from fossil bone TI - Chemometric analysis of EDXRF measurements from fossil bone UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20927 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/20927
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationThomas DB, Chinsamy A. Chemometric analysis of EDXRF measurements from fossil bone. X-Ray Spectrometry. 2011; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20927.en_ZA
dc.languageengen_ZA
dc.publisherWileyen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.sourceX-Ray Spectrometryen_ZA
dc.source.urihttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1097-4539
dc.subject.otherMultivariate
dc.subject.otherNon-destructive
dc.subject.otherPrincipal components analysis
dc.subject.otherX-ray fluorescence
dc.titleChemometric analysis of EDXRF measurements from fossil boneen_ZA
dc.typeJournal Articleen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceArticleen_ZA
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