Extended Data Fig. 8: Comparison of temporal occurrence of lithium and barium banding in the StS 28C upper first molar.
From: Elemental signatures of Australopithecus africanus teeth reveal seasonal dietary stress
a–c, The Li/Ca banding (a) when placed over the Ba/Ca bands (b) shows a slight offset of the lithium banding (b). The lighter element (red dotted line marks the start of the lithium deposition) appears to occur immediately before, and during, the deposition of barium (blue shaded lines). We hypothesize that the location of lithium in the hydrosphere of the bone means that this element is more rapidly reabsorbed and transported into the bloodstream than is barium.
