Direct evidence of milk consumption from ancient human dental calculus

C. Warinner; J. Hendy; C. Speller; Enrico Cappellini; R. Fischer; C. Trachsel; J. Arneborg; Niels Lynnerup; O. E. Craig; D. M. Swallow; Anna Katerina Fotakis; Rosa Rakownikow Jersie-Christensen; Jesper Velgaard Olsen; A. Liebert; N. Montalva; S. Fiddyment; S. Charlton; Meaghan Emma Mackie; A. Canci; A. Bouwman; F. Rühli; M Thomas P Gilbert; M. J. Collins

doi:10.1038/srep07104

Direct evidence of milk consumption from ancient human dental calculus

C. Warinner, J. Hendy, C. Speller, Enrico Cappellini, R. Fischer, C. Trachsel, J. Arneborg, Niels Lynnerup, O. E. Craig, D. M. Swallow, Anna Katerina Fotakis, Rosa Rakownikow Jersie-Christensen, Jesper Velgaard Olsen, A. Liebert, N. Montalva, S. Fiddyment, S. Charlton, Meaghan Emma Mackie, A. Canci, A. BouwmanF. Rühli, M Thomas P Gilbert, M. J. Collins

Antropologisk Laboratorium

101 Citationer (Scopus)

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Abstract

Milk is a major food of global economic importance, and its consumption is regarded as a classic example of gene-culture evolution. Humans have exploited animal milk as a food resource for at least 8500 years, but the origins, spread, and scale of dairying remain poorly understood. Indirect lines of evidence, such as lipid isotopic ratios of pottery residues, faunal mortality profiles, and lactase persistence allele frequencies, provide a partial picture of this process; however, in order to understand how, where, and when humans consumed milk products, it is necessary to link evidence of consumption directly to individuals and their dairy livestock. Here we report the first direct evidence of milk consumption, the whey protein β-lactoglobulin (BLG), preserved in human dental calculus from the Bronze Age (ca. 3000 BCE) to the present day. Using protein tandem mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that BLG is a species-specific biomarker of dairy consumption, and we identify individuals consuming cattle, sheep, and goat milk products in the archaeological record. We then apply this method to human dental calculus from Greenland's medieval Norse colonies, and report a decline of this biomarker leading up to the abandonment of the Norse Greenland colonies in the 15(th) century CE.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	7104
Tidsskrift	Scientific Reports
Vol/bind	4
Antal sider	6
ISSN	2045-2322
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep07104
Status	Udgivet - 2014

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10.1038/srep07104Licens: CC BY

Warinner_2014_Direct_evidenceForlagets udgivne version, 1,06 MBLicens: CC BY

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Warinner, C., Hendy, J., Speller, C., Cappellini, E., Fischer, R., Trachsel, C., Arneborg, J., Lynnerup, N., Craig, O. E., Swallow, D. M., Fotakis, A. K., Jersie-Christensen, R. R., Olsen, J. V., Liebert, A., Montalva, N., Fiddyment, S., Charlton, S., Mackie, M. E., Canci, A., ... Collins, M. J. (2014). Direct evidence of milk consumption from ancient human dental calculus. Scientific Reports, 4, [7104]. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep07104

Warinner, C, Hendy, J, Speller, C, Cappellini, E, Fischer, R, Trachsel, C, Arneborg, J, Lynnerup, N, Craig, OE, Swallow, DM, Fotakis, AK, Jersie-Christensen, RR, Olsen, JV, Liebert, A, Montalva, N, Fiddyment, S, Charlton, S, Mackie, ME, Canci, A, Bouwman, A, Rühli, F, Gilbert, MTP & Collins, MJ 2014, 'Direct evidence of milk consumption from ancient human dental calculus', Scientific Reports, bind 4, 7104. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep07104

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title = "Direct evidence of milk consumption from ancient human dental calculus",

abstract = "Milk is a major food of global economic importance, and its consumption is regarded as a classic example of gene-culture evolution. Humans have exploited animal milk as a food resource for at least 8500 years, but the origins, spread, and scale of dairying remain poorly understood. Indirect lines of evidence, such as lipid isotopic ratios of pottery residues, faunal mortality profiles, and lactase persistence allele frequencies, provide a partial picture of this process; however, in order to understand how, where, and when humans consumed milk products, it is necessary to link evidence of consumption directly to individuals and their dairy livestock. Here we report the first direct evidence of milk consumption, the whey protein β-lactoglobulin (BLG), preserved in human dental calculus from the Bronze Age (ca. 3000 BCE) to the present day. Using protein tandem mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that BLG is a species-specific biomarker of dairy consumption, and we identify individuals consuming cattle, sheep, and goat milk products in the archaeological record. We then apply this method to human dental calculus from Greenland's medieval Norse colonies, and report a decline of this biomarker leading up to the abandonment of the Norse Greenland colonies in the 15(th) century CE.",

author = "C. Warinner and J. Hendy and C. Speller and Enrico Cappellini and R. Fischer and C. Trachsel and J. Arneborg and Niels Lynnerup and Craig, {O. E.} and Swallow, {D. M.} and Fotakis, {Anna Katerina} and Jersie-Christensen, {Rosa Rakownikow} and Olsen, {Jesper Velgaard} and A. Liebert and N. Montalva and S. Fiddyment and S. Charlton and Mackie, {Meaghan Emma} and A. Canci and A. Bouwman and F. R{\"u}hli and Gilbert, {M Thomas P} and Collins, {M. J.}",

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doi = "10.1038/srep07104",

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journal = "Scientific Reports",

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T1 - Direct evidence of milk consumption from ancient human dental calculus

AU - Warinner, C.

AU - Hendy, J.

AU - Speller, C.

AU - Cappellini, Enrico

AU - Fischer, R.

AU - Trachsel, C.

AU - Arneborg, J.

AU - Lynnerup, Niels

AU - Craig, O. E.

AU - Swallow, D. M.

AU - Fotakis, Anna Katerina

AU - Jersie-Christensen, Rosa Rakownikow

AU - Olsen, Jesper Velgaard

AU - Liebert, A.

AU - Montalva, N.

AU - Fiddyment, S.

AU - Charlton, S.

AU - Mackie, Meaghan Emma

AU - Canci, A.

AU - Bouwman, A.

AU - Rühli, F.

AU - Gilbert, M Thomas P

AU - Collins, M. J.

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Milk is a major food of global economic importance, and its consumption is regarded as a classic example of gene-culture evolution. Humans have exploited animal milk as a food resource for at least 8500 years, but the origins, spread, and scale of dairying remain poorly understood. Indirect lines of evidence, such as lipid isotopic ratios of pottery residues, faunal mortality profiles, and lactase persistence allele frequencies, provide a partial picture of this process; however, in order to understand how, where, and when humans consumed milk products, it is necessary to link evidence of consumption directly to individuals and their dairy livestock. Here we report the first direct evidence of milk consumption, the whey protein β-lactoglobulin (BLG), preserved in human dental calculus from the Bronze Age (ca. 3000 BCE) to the present day. Using protein tandem mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that BLG is a species-specific biomarker of dairy consumption, and we identify individuals consuming cattle, sheep, and goat milk products in the archaeological record. We then apply this method to human dental calculus from Greenland's medieval Norse colonies, and report a decline of this biomarker leading up to the abandonment of the Norse Greenland colonies in the 15(th) century CE.

AB - Milk is a major food of global economic importance, and its consumption is regarded as a classic example of gene-culture evolution. Humans have exploited animal milk as a food resource for at least 8500 years, but the origins, spread, and scale of dairying remain poorly understood. Indirect lines of evidence, such as lipid isotopic ratios of pottery residues, faunal mortality profiles, and lactase persistence allele frequencies, provide a partial picture of this process; however, in order to understand how, where, and when humans consumed milk products, it is necessary to link evidence of consumption directly to individuals and their dairy livestock. Here we report the first direct evidence of milk consumption, the whey protein β-lactoglobulin (BLG), preserved in human dental calculus from the Bronze Age (ca. 3000 BCE) to the present day. Using protein tandem mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that BLG is a species-specific biomarker of dairy consumption, and we identify individuals consuming cattle, sheep, and goat milk products in the archaeological record. We then apply this method to human dental calculus from Greenland's medieval Norse colonies, and report a decline of this biomarker leading up to the abandonment of the Norse Greenland colonies in the 15(th) century CE.

U2 - 10.1038/srep07104

DO - 10.1038/srep07104

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25429530

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 4

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

M1 - 7104

ER -

Direct evidence of milk consumption from ancient human dental calculus

Abstract

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