Collagen Fingerprinting Identifies Prehistoric Sea Turtle Bones

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND—An international team led by scientists at the University of Manchester has analyzed species-specific proteins in collagen obtained from turtle bones uncovered at prehistoric sites in Florida and the Caribbean in order to identify the inhabitants’ preferred food sources. Marine biologist and zooarchaeologist Virginia Harvey said that the technique, known as collagen fingerprinting, is useful for identifying bone fragments that may be too small to identify thr