Coupling tooth microwear and stable isotope analyses for palaeodiet reconstruction: the case study of Late Middle Pleistocene Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus teeth from Central Italy (Rome area)

Taking into account that grazing among elephants may be related to increasing availability of grass during more humid periods, whereas browsing is augmented when the grass tend to be withered, as reported for extant savannah, the different patterns in microwear seem to be consistent with oxygen isotope data. Carbon isotope measurements on structural carbonate of biogenic apatite (enamel) suggest a more closed canopy forest at Casal de' Pazzi and more arid climate at La Polledrara di Cecanibbio. Strontium isotope composition (87Sr/86Sr) helps to define the geographical area where the two populations were living, which is confirmed to be limited to the volcanic province of Latium.