Mapping moose: moose as a proxy for humans in the mapping of stable isotope values in the Tanana Valley, Alaska for forensic purposes

Abstract

"There are currently 100,000 open missing persons cases and 40,000 sets of unidentified human remains in medical examiners' offices across the nation. Stable isotope analyses can serve as a first line of inquiry to narrow down the possible region of origin for skeletal remains. The analysis of the variation between the isotope ratios of oxygen (¹⁸O/¹⁶O) is of particular value for this purpose. Local water resources determine body [delta]¹⁸O and these values should remain predictable for local fauna and humans. This study fills a void in the isotopic record of interior Alaska. It provides an updated predictive [delta]¹⁸O model for Alaskan drinking water ([delta]¹⁸Owater) and a predictive [delta]¹⁸O model for Alaskan moose ([delta]¹⁸Omoose). A statewide [delta]¹⁸Owater predictive surface was created from collaborative data and this surface was then used in conjunction with sampled [delta]¹⁸Omoose values to create a statewide [delta]¹⁸Omoose predictive surface. These predictive models can in turn be useful for identifying geographic origin of human remains in forensic cases because both [delta]¹⁸Omoose and [delta]¹⁸Ohuman values should approximate the local [delta]¹⁸Owater values with similar fractionation effects"--Leaf iii