Permanent signatures of birth and nursing initiation are chemically recorded in teeth

In 2013 we presented a model for identifying nursing behavior from primate teeth based on rapid postnatal concentration changes in the non-essential trace element barium. Here we leverage the permanent neonatal (birth) line in the enamel of several dozen primate M1 cusps to compare pre-and postnatal trends in barium, zinc, strontium, and oxygen, as each element is believed to evince developmental patterning. Barium and zinc are the most consistent biomarkers of nursing initiation; a majority of M1 cusps shows concentration increases from prenatal to postnatal enamel, whereas strontium shows decreases or no change with similar frequency. Exceptions to the pattern of barium increase occurred in cusps that had been mineralizing for less than three weeks, suggesting that subsequent enamel maturation has only a minor impact on detecting real time events. Oxygen isotope compositions (delta O-18) show rapid and marked fluctuations (~1-2 parts per thousand & nbsp;) within two weeks of birth in 93% of M1 cusps (n = 27/29). This is likely due to measurements of hypomineralized perinatal enamel and physiological changes in the body water of newborn infants. Ongoing work integrating elemental concentration gradients with isotopic variation will help establish the degree to which milk intake may cause elevated delta(18)Oin teeth. We show that chemical identification of pre-to postnatal transitions may be robust to slight planar deviations that commonly obscure growth increments under light microscopy, and could help validate the identification of potential neonatal lines, making this approach a useful complement to bioarchaeological studies and public health investigations.

Automated summary

This study presented a model for identifying nursing behavior in primates based on changes in barium concentration in teeth. By comparing pre-and postnatal trends in barium, zinc, strontium, and oxygen, the researchers found that barium and zinc were consistent biomarkers of nursing initiation. Oxygen isotope compositions also fluctuated rapidly within two weeks of birth, indicating changes in infant body water. The findings of this study have implications for bioarchaeological studies and public health investigations.