Research in the Paleoecology Laboratory focuses on the reconstruction of past human-environmental relationships by the means of studying dietary practices, migration, paleoenvironments, and human-animal relationships. The laboratory is setup to:

• Extract bone collagen for stable isotope analysis (C & N)
• Extract bone mineral apatite for stable isotope analysis of carbonates (C & O)
• Clean and prepare a variety of other substances for stable isotope analysis, including hair samples and plants
• Analyze materials (bone, ceramics, lithics) using a portable X-Ray Florescence (XRF) instrument (Bruker Tracer 5i) to obtain elemental concentrations
• Study human and animal skeletal morphology

Dr. Andrew Somerville
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Director of Paleoecology Laboratory
World Languages and Cultures
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
3102 Pearson Hall