Strontium isoscape of sub-Saharan Africa allows tracing origins of victims of the transatlantic slave trade

Xueye Wang, Gaëlle Bocksberger, Mimi Arandjelovic, Anthony Agbor, Samuel Angedakin, Floris Aubert, Emmanuel Ayuk Ayimisin, Emma Bailey, Donatienne Barubiyo, Mattia Bessone, René Bobe, Matthieu Bonnet, Renée Boucher, Gregory Brazzola, Simon Brewer, Kevin C. Lee, Susana Carvalho, Rebecca Chancellor, Chloe Cipoletta, Heather Cohen, Sandi R. Copeland, Katherine Corogenes, Ana Maria Costa, Charlotte Coupland, Bryan Curran, Darryl J. Ruiter, Tobias Deschner, Paula Dieguez, Karsten Dierks, Emmanuel Dilambaka, Dervla Dowd, Andrew Dunn, Villard Ebot Egbe, Manfred Finckh, Barbara Fruth, Liza Gijanto, Yisa Ginath Yuh, Annemarie Goedmakers, Cameron Gokee, Rui Gomes Coelho, Alan H. Goodman, Anne-Céline Granjon, Vaughan Grimes, Cyril C. Grueter, Anne Haour, Daniela Hedwig, Veerle Hermans, R. Adriana Hernandez-Aguilar, Gottfried Hohmann, Inaoyom Imong, Kathryn J. Jeffery, Sorrel Jones, Jessica Junker, Parag Kadam, Mbangi Kambere, Mohamed Kambi, Ivonne Kienast, Kelly J. Knudson, Kevin E. Langergraber, Vincent Lapeyre, Juan Lapuente, Bradley Larson, Thea Lautenschläger, Petrus Roux, Vera Leinert, Manuel Llana, Amanda Logan, Brynn Lowry, Tina Lüdecke, Giovanna Maretti, Sergio Marrocoli, Rumen Fernandez, Patricia J. McNeill, Amelia C. Meier, Paulina Meller, J. Cameron Monroe, David Morgan, Felix Mulindahabi, Mizuki Murai, Emily Neil, Sonia Nicholl, Protais Niyigaba, Emmanuelle Normand, Lucy Jayne Ormsby, Orume Diotoh, Liliana Pacheco, Alex Piel, Jodie Preece, Sebastien Regnaut, Francois G. Richard, Michael P. Richards, Aaron Rundus, Crickette Sanz, Volker Sommer, Matt Sponheimer, Teresa E. Steele, Fiona A. Stewart, Nikki Tagg, Luc Roscelin Tédonzong, Alexander Tickle, Lassané Toubga, Joost Schijndel, Virginie Vergnes, Nadege Wangue Njomen, Erin G. Wessling, Jacob Willie, Roman M. Wittig, Kyle Yurkiw, Andrew M. Zipkin, Klaus Zuberbühler, Hjalmar S. Kühl, Christophe Boesch and Vicky M. Oelze ()
Additional contact information
Xueye Wang: Sichuan University
Gaëlle Bocksberger: University of California Santa Cruz
Mimi Arandjelovic: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Anthony Agbor: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Samuel Angedakin: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Floris Aubert: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
Emmanuel Ayuk Ayimisin: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Emma Bailey: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Donatienne Barubiyo: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Mattia Bessone: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
René Bobe: University of Oxford
Matthieu Bonnet: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Renée Boucher: University of California Santa Cruz
Gregory Brazzola: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Simon Brewer: University of Utah
Kevin C. Lee: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Susana Carvalho: University of Oxford
Rebecca Chancellor: West Chester University
Chloe Cipoletta: Wildlife Conservation Society
Heather Cohen: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Sandi R. Copeland: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Katherine Corogenes: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Ana Maria Costa: University of Lisbon
Charlotte Coupland: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Bryan Curran: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Darryl J. Ruiter: Texas A&M University
Tobias Deschner: University of Osnabrück
Paula Dieguez: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)
Karsten Dierks: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Emmanuel Dilambaka: Wildlife Conservation Society
Dervla Dowd: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
Andrew Dunn: Wildlife Conservation Society
Villard Ebot Egbe: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Manfred Finckh: University of Hamburg
Barbara Fruth: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
Liza Gijanto: St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Yisa Ginath Yuh: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Annemarie Goedmakers: Chimbo Foundation
Cameron Gokee: Appalachian State University
Rui Gomes Coelho: Durham University
Alan H. Goodman: Hampshire College
Anne-Céline Granjon: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Vaughan Grimes: Memorial University
Cyril C. Grueter: The University of Western Australia
Anne Haour: University of East Anglia
Daniela Hedwig: Cornell University
Veerle Hermans: Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
R. Adriana Hernandez-Aguilar: Serra Hunter Programme
Gottfried Hohmann: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Inaoyom Imong: Wildlife Conservation Society
Kathryn J. Jeffery: University of Stirling
Sorrel Jones: The David Attenborough Building
Jessica Junker: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Parag Kadam: University of Georgia
Mbangi Kambere: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Mohamed Kambi: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Ivonne Kienast: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Kelly J. Knudson: Arizona State University
Kevin E. Langergraber: Arizona State University
Vincent Lapeyre: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
Juan Lapuente: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Bradley Larson: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Thea Lautenschläger: Technische Universität Dresden
Petrus Roux: University of Cape Town
Vera Leinert: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
Manuel Llana: Dindefelo Biological Station
Amanda Logan: Northwestern University
Brynn Lowry: University of California Santa Cruz
Tina Lüdecke: Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Giovanna Maretti: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Sergio Marrocoli: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Rumen Fernandez: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Patricia J. McNeill: University of California at Davis
Amelia C. Meier: University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Paulina Meller: University of Hamburg
J. Cameron Monroe: University of California Santa Cruz
David Morgan: Lincoln Park Zoo
Felix Mulindahabi: Wildlife Conservation Society
Mizuki Murai: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Emily Neil: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Sonia Nicholl: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Protais Niyigaba: Wildlife Conservation Society
Emmanuelle Normand: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF)
Lucy Jayne Ormsby: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Orume Diotoh: Korup National Park
Liliana Pacheco: Cernavoda
Alex Piel: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Jodie Preece: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Sebastien Regnaut: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
Francois G. Richard: University of Chicago
Michael P. Richards: Simon Fraser University
Aaron Rundus: West Chester University
Crickette Sanz: Washington University in St. Louis
Volker Sommer: University College London
Matt Sponheimer: University of Colorado Boulder
Teresa E. Steele: University of California at Davis
Fiona A. Stewart: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Nikki Tagg: Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Luc Roscelin Tédonzong: Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Alexander Tickle: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Lassané Toubga: Université Joseph KI-ZERBO
Joost Schijndel: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Virginie Vergnes: Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF)
Nadege Wangue Njomen: WWF Cameroon Country Office
Erin G. Wessling: Harvard University
Jacob Willie: Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Roman M. Wittig: University of Lyon 1
Kyle Yurkiw: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Andrew M. Zipkin: Arizona State University
Klaus Zuberbühler: Institut de Biologie
Hjalmar S. Kühl: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Christophe Boesch: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Vicky M. Oelze: University of California Santa Cruz

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis with reference to strontium isotope landscapes (Sr isoscapes) allows reconstructing mobility and migration in archaeology, ecology, and forensics. However, despite the vast potential of research involving 87Sr/86Sr analysis particularly in Africa, Sr isoscapes remain unavailable for the largest parts of the continent. Here, we measure the 87Sr/86Sr ratios in 778 environmental samples from 24 African countries and combine this data with published data to model a bioavailable Sr isoscape for sub-Saharan Africa using random forest regression. We demonstrate the efficacy of this Sr isoscape, in combination with other lines of evidence, to trace the African roots of individuals from historic slavery contexts, particularly those with highly radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr ratios uncommon in the African Diaspora. Our study provides an extensive African 87Sr/86Sr dataset which includes scientifically marginalized regions of Africa, with significant implications for the archaeology of the transatlantic slave trade, wildlife ecology, conservation, and forensics.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55256-0

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