Understanding tissue turnover rate is crucial for isotopic analysis. Collagen, a main component of bone, is often studied in archaeology and paleontology, yet bone collagen turnover rates across various skeletal elements, remain underexplored. This study addresses this by assessing collagen turnover rates in multiple human skeletal elements using the bomb carbon dating method. Seven donors, aged 54 to 78, from the REST[ES] facility in Québec, were sampled. Turnover rates varied significantly among skeletal elements, ranked from slowest to fastest as follows: ulna, humerus, femur, rib, pelvis, and vertebra. It was shown that turnover rates are not consistent throughout life and are not averaged over a turnover period. For studies aiming to reconstruct temporal variation in life history, vertebrae and ulnae should be used due to their distinct turnover rates. This research provides the most comprehensive list of bone collagen turnover rates for various human skeletal elements.
Author Keywords: Bomb carbon dating, Bone collagen, Human physiology, Radiocarbon, Stable isotope analysis, Turnover rate