HALL OF RECORDS
The most common methodology employed by members of the lab is the analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions by EA-IRMS. Below are the records for the lowest and highest delta values recorded by year. Samples must be from an identifiable taxon.
2017
2017
46 - Polar bear
δ15N = +25.25 ‰
8 - Lemming
δ15N = +0.32 ‰
12069 - Swordfish
δ13C = −9.60 ‰
459 - Llama/alpaca
δ13C = −22.23 ‰
2017
2018
788 - Polar bear
δ15N = +25.01 ‰
546 - Algarrobo
δ15N = +1.76 ‰
559 - Maize
δ13C = −9.31 ‰
560 - Guava
δ13C = −27.44 ‰
2017
2019
5141 - Polar bear
δ15N = +23.20 ‰
2486 - White-lipped snail
δ15N = −1.73 ‰
7334 - Sheepshead
δ13C = −5.67 ‰
5420 - Yellow perch
δ13C = −29.45 ‰
2020
5688 - Caribou
δ15N = +2.54 ‰
9057 - Yellow perch
δ13C = −28.56 ‰
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
Voted on by lab members as the coolest sample analyzed in a calendar year.
527 - Vizcacha fleece
A fleece sample made from the hair of the vizcacha. This sample comes from a site in the Pampa del Tamarugal in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile that was occupied by hunter-gatherers ~11,500 years ago.
You can read more about this sample in this paper.
604 - Narluga
A sample of bone from the world's only confirmed beluga-narwhal hybrid (the 'narluga') from Disko Bay (West Greenland). This specimen is housed at the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen.
You can read more about this sample in this paper.
5295 - Double-tusked narwhal
A sample of bone from a rare narwhal with two very large tusks. This specimen is housed at the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen.