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
Highest δ15N
Lowest δ15N
Highest δ13C
Lowest δ13C
2017
46 - Polar bear
δ15N = +25.25 ‰
Corrie Hyland
8 - Lemming
δ15N = +0.32 ‰
Corrie Hyland
12069 - Swordfish
δ13C = −9.60 ‰
Paul Szpak
459 - Llama/alpaca
δ13C = −22.23 ‰
Paul Szpak
2017
2018
788 - Polar bear
δ15N = +25.01 ‰
Paul Szpak
546 - Algarrobo
δ15N = +1.76 ‰
Paul Szpak
559 - Maize
δ13C = −9.31 ‰
Paul Szpak
560 - Guava
δ13C = −27.44 ‰
Paul Szpak
2017
2019
5141 - Polar bear
δ15N = +23.20 ‰
Corrie Hyland
2486 - White-lipped snail
δ15N = −1.73 ‰
Jennifer Routledge
7334 - Sheepshead
δ13C = −5.67 ‰
Eric Guiry
5420 - Yellow perch
δ13C = −29.45 ‰
Eric Guiry
2020
10485 - Polar bear
δ15N = +22.18 ‰
Michael Scott
5688 - Caribou
δ15N = +2.54 ‰
Matt Teeter
9372 - Cattle
δ13C = −6.20 ‰
Eric Guiry
9057 - Yellow perch
δ13C = −28.56 ‰
Eric Guiry
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
Voted on by lab members as the coolest sample analyzed in a calendar year.
2017
2018
2019
2020
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.
9811 - Iron Age Dog
A naturally mummified dog from the Lower Ob River region in Siberia produced bone, hair, and nails for isotopic analysis. The dog fed on freshwater fish supplied by people throughout the year. You can read more about this sample in this paper.