Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026
07:57
Sampling and Pretreatment of Tooth Enamel Carbonate for Stable Carbon and Oxygen Isotope Analysis
Published on: August 15, 2018
15.1K
The Oceanian archaeological and palaeontological isotope database
S Anna Florin1,2, Ashleigh J Rogers3,4, Natasha B Lyall1
1School of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
Data in Brief
|April 20, 2026
Summary
The Oceanian Archaeological and Palaeontological Isotope Database (OAPID) is a new open-access dataset. It compiles over 6,400 isotopic measurements from Oceania, aiding research on past environments and human lifeways.
Area of Science:
- Archaeological Science
- Palaeontology
- Isotope Geochemistry
Background:
- Isotopic analysis provides crucial insights into past environments and subsistence strategies.
- The Oceanian region holds significant archaeological and palaeontological records.
- A centralized, accessible dataset for this region was lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a comprehensive, open-access database of isotopic measurements from Oceania.
- To compile data from Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological and palaeontological sites.
- To support research on palaeoenvironments, past lifeways, and resource management.
Main Methods:
- Compilation of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, strontium, and sulphur isotope data.
- Inclusion of measurements from human, animal, and plant remains.
- Integration of geographic, temporal, and cultural contextual information.
Main Results:
- The Oceanian Archaeological and Palaeontological Isotope Database (OAPID) now contains 6,465 entries.
- Data spans over four decades of isotopic research in Oceania.
- The database covers Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
Conclusions:
- OAPID is a valuable resource for researchers studying Oceania's past.
- The dataset facilitates interdisciplinary research into palaeoenvironments and subsistence systems.
- This resource will aid in the present management of animals and vegetation.
Related Concept Videos
02:56The Fossil Record
28.6K
The fossil record documents only a small fraction of all organisms that have ever inhabited Earth. Fossilization is a rare process, and most organisms never become fossils. Moreover, the fossil record only exhibits fossils that have been discovered. Nevertheless, sedimentary rock fossils of long-lived, abundant, hard-bodied organisms dominate the fossil record. These fossils offer valuable information, such as an organism's physical form, behavior, and age. Studying the fossil record helps...
28.6K
01:13Mass Spectrometry: Isotope Effect
5.2K
Most elements exist in nature as a mixture of isotopes. The isotopes differ in weight due to their respective number of neutrons. The molecular weight of a molecule is different depending on the specific isotope of its elements involved. As a result, the mass spectrum of the molecule exhibits peaks from the same fragment at multiple positions. The positions of these mass signals depend on the mass differences between isotopes. Furthermore, the intensity of these signals is dependent on the...
5.2K
01:27Diversity of Protists III
2.1K
Rhizaria are a diverse group of unicellular protists characterized by their threadlike cytoplasmic extensions known as pseudopodia. These structures aid in both locomotion and feeding, giving Rhizaria an amoeboid appearance. Their amoeboid morphology once led to taxonomic confusion, but molecular phylogenetics has clarified their evolutionary placement and emphasized their shared use of pseudopodia despite divergent lineages.This clade comprises diverse lineages such as Chlorarachniophyta,...
2.1K
01:24Diversity of Archaea II
669
Archaea, one of the three domains of life, exhibit remarkable diversity and adaptability, thriving in both extreme and moderate environments. Historically, most identified archaea have been classified into two major phyla: Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota. However, recent molecular studies have expanded this classification to include three additional phyla: Thaumarchaeota, Nanoarchaeota, and Korarchaeota, each exhibiting unique characteristics and ecological roles.Thaumarchaeota: Mesophiles...
669
01:27Diversity of Archaea III
472
Crenarchaeota, a prominent phylum of Archaea, is remarkable for its ability to thrive in extreme environments characterized by high temperatures and acidity. These microorganisms inhabit sulfuric hot springs, volcanic systems, and submarine hydrothermal vents, where temperatures often exceed 100°C. The unique adaptations of Crenarchaeota not only allow survival under such extreme conditions but also provide insights into the mechanisms of life in primordial Earth-like...
472
01:12Isotopes
65.9K
Elements have a set number of protons that determines their atomic number (Z). For example, all atoms with eight protons are oxygen; however, the number of neutrons can vary for atoms of the same element. The sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are called isotopes. Elements can have multiple isotopes, for example, carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14.
An element's atomic mass, or weight,...
An element's atomic mass, or weight,...
65.9K