Intra-tooth or sequential stable isotope analyses are nowadays widely implemented in zooarchaeological research. Sequential isotopic analyses have been mainly restricted to the mineral fraction of the enamel, while a wider implementation in dentine collagen has been generally eluded, despite conforming an essential organic compound for paleodietary studies. In high-crowned teeth, dentine grows oblique to the vertical axis of growth and some challenges arise when trying to isolate dentine increments during a sequential sampling. Previous sampling strategies slice the whole dentine thickness and provide sequences where isotopic variation is largely attenuated. In this study, we show a new proposal for performing carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of dentine collagen which better fits dentine's growth. We implemented it in mandibular second molars of an experimental modern sheep flock. Our sampling largely reduces the isotopic “damping” of previous approaches and provides short time-span samples. Sequential δ¹³C values obtained in dentine tissue yielded similar resolution to those obtained in enamel tissue of the same individuals. This proposal, especially suitable for caprine and other bovid species, broadens the implementation of dentine collagen signatures in the field of stable isotope analyses in zooarchaeology.

如今，齿内或连续稳定同位素分析在动物考古学研究中得到广泛应用。连续同位素分析主要局限于牙釉质的矿物质部分，而在牙本质胶原蛋白中的广泛应用通常被回避，尽管符合古饮食研究的基本有机化合物。在高冠牙齿中，牙本质相对于生长的垂直轴倾斜生长，在连续采样期间尝试分离牙本质增量时会出现一些挑战。以前的采样策略对整个牙本质厚度进行切片，并提供同位素变化很大程度上减弱的序列。在这项研究中，我们提出了一种对牙本质胶原蛋白进行碳和氮同位素分析的新建议，它更适合牙本质的生长。我们在实验性现代羊群的下颌第二磨牙中实施了它。我们的采样很大程度上减少了以前方法的同位素“阻尼”，并提供了短时间跨度的样本。在牙本质组织中获得的连续 δ ¹³ C 值与在同一个体的牙釉质组织中获得的分辨率相似。该提议特别适用于山羊和其他牛科动物，拓宽了牙本质胶原蛋白特征在动物考古学稳定同位素分析领域的应用。