The analysis of Richard’s rib bone showed that there was a significant shift in the values of nitrogen and oxygen isotopes late in Richard’s life, Evans said.
Nitrogen isotopes are natural tracers of the flow of energy through ecosystems. Higher concentrations of certain nitrogen isotopes are a sign of a diet rich in animals that have a relatively high place in the food web — such as wildfowl and freshwater fish. During Richard’s time, game birds such as swan, crane, heron and egret would have been on the menu at royal banquets.
Story: Megan Gannon, LiveScience | Photo: University of Leicester
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