Under the supervision of Dr. Leland C. Bement, Adam Graves will examine the trace element content of bison teeth to determine their migratory patterns. Modern and prehistoric bison teeth from the Southern Plains will be analyzed to assess the interrelatedness of Bison antiquus - an extinct form of the North American buffalo - and human movements between 11,900 and 10,200 years ago. These Early Paleoindians are generally inferred to have been small groups of highly mobile large game hunters who increasingly depended on tracking bison herds for subsistence on the Southern Plains. Bison are a migratory species whose exact geographic location each year may not be predictable by hunters who are traveling long distances. Thus, knowing where bison traversed annually provides insight into the frequency and distance specialized hunters had to move to intercept this highly sought prey species.
Recent research concludes that animal movement may be assessed by examining tooth and bone chemistry. In addition to calcium and phosphate, enamel also consists of trace elements that are incorporated into the matrix during mineralization. The trace element content in teeth can be correlated with the trace element content of consumed soils, plants, and water which vary across the landscape on a geographical scale. This study will use Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma/Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP/MS) to examine the down-tooth distribution of 13 trace elements in enamel of 20 modern Bison bison from Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas to define the geographical limits and concentrations of specific minerals. In addition, 33 Bison antiquus teeth from nine Early Paleoindian locales on the Southern Plains will be analyzed. The modern bison enamel will provide an elemental map upon which the movements of extinct herds will be assessed. The knowledge of where Bison antiquus gathered would have allowed prehistoric hunters to plan movements or meetings around such aggregations. The research will attempt to reconstruct the scale and frequency of early Paleoindian mobility by examining the locations and timing of kills and the direction of bison movement across the plains.
The methods employed by this analysis will be of use to archaeologists, biologists, zoologists, and other natural scientists interested in determining any animal species' - including humans' - diet and mobility in any geographic and chronologic context. The involvement of geochemists, botanists, local bison ranchers, and state parks ensures that the methods used and information learned of the relationship between human settlement and their resources will be shared with a wide audience. Further, Graves will dessiminate the results of the research through publications, documentaries, and public lectures to a widespread audience thus assisting in his professional training.
