Isotopic analysis of equid teeth from Wonderwerk Cave, northern Cape Province, South Africa
Abstract Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios have been determined from equid teeth from a well-dated sequence of Holocene deposits at Wonderwerk Cave, situated in a summer-rainfall area of the northern Cape Province of South Africa. Stable carbon isotope ratios confirm the existence of a C 4 grassland habitat throughout the Holocene. Nitrogen isotope ratios are assessed in relation to data from modern equid samples from southern Africa. Temporal variability in both carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of Holocene equid samples from Wonderwerk appears to be analogous to spatial variability of such ratios determined for faunal samples from modern environments. Relationships between isotope ratios and data from modern environments are used to obtain rainfall indices.