Stable isotope analysis of white-tailed deer teeth as a paleoenvironmental proxy at the Maya site of La Joyanca, northwestern Petén, Guatemala.

Carbon and oxygen isotopes ratios from herbivore teeth have previously been used as paleo-environmental proxies in temperate zones. However, their utility in tropical zones remains uncertain. In this study, sequential sub-samples from white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) teeth (second and third molars) from the Maya archaeological site of La Joyanca, located in northwestern Petén, Guatemala, show that δ 18 O of enamel carbonate corresponds broadly to modern observed precipitation δ 18 O over the 10-month period of tooth formation, capturing rainfall seasonality. The analyses also detect significant diachronic differences in the δ 18 O between the periods 1100-1000 BP (850-950 A.D.) and 1000-900 BP (950-1050 A.D.) at La Joyanca. The δ 13 C in both periods are indicative of a C3 -plant based diet, which suggests cultivation of maize did not differentially affect deer diet during this period.