Food Has No Borders Methodological Insights from the Forensic Isotopic Profile of a New York City Immigrant

Abstract

Isotopic analyses of human remains augment the biological profile with geolocation and dietary information, furthering efforts to identify unknown individuals from a forensic context. Here we test the methodological resolution of geolocation (δ¹⁸O, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) and dietary (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) isotopes of one identified individual who immigrated to New York City from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Lesser Antilles. Isotope-based geolocation estimates did not identify the childhood residency on SVG, but did point to New York City as a possible residence during early adulthood. The individual’s C₃-based diet did not significantly change from childhood to early adulthood, illustrating the maintenance of food traditions after the immigration event. This study illustrates that further development of tissue-specific isoscapes incorporating bioavailable foods, drinking water, and cultural traditions is warranted to refine methodological resolution of isotopic applications in forensic anthropology.