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To: Junior
"Analysis of Oetzi's tooth enamel indicates that between the ages of 3 and 5 he was drinking water with isotope ratios found only to the south of where he was found frozen. "

Wouldn't this guy's baby teeth have fallen out about 6. So how can they tell from his teeth, what he was drinking from 3 to 5?

6 posted on 10/30/2003 1:27:34 PM PST by DannyTN (Note left on my door by a pack of neighborhood dogs.)
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To: DannyTN
If I'm not mistaken, the tooth buds for adult teeth are found in young children; the baby teeth sort of sit on top of them. It would make sense for the enamel on these nascent adult teeth to absorb isotopes when the guy was young.
10 posted on 10/30/2003 1:32:12 PM PST by Junior ("Your superior intellects are no match for our puny weapons!")
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To: DannyTN
Not all baby teeth are lost, some adults have them throughout life. I myself have a few baby teeth in my jaw.
My brother only lost 2 if his. And a careful forensic examination of the bones will reveal much about the diet.
12 posted on 10/30/2003 1:34:23 PM PST by theDentist (Liberals can sugarcoat sh** all they want. I'm not biting.)
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To: DannyTN
Not all baby teeth are lost, some adults have them throughout life. I myself have a few baby teeth in my jaw. My brother only lost 2 of his. And a careful forensic examination of the bones will reveal much about the diet.
13 posted on 10/30/2003 1:34:50 PM PST by theDentist (Liberals can sugarcoat sh** all they want. I'm not biting.)
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To: DannyTN
Wouldn't this guy's baby teeth have fallen out about 6. So how can they tell from his teeth, what he was drinking from 3 to 5?

Yes, the baby teeth would have been gone, at the latest, by age 8. However, the enamel of the baby teeth would likely show what the mother was eating/drinking due to nursing. The adult teeth would have been forming after the age of three and would not be "influenced", so to speak, from the mother's milk. The isotopes found in the adult teeth would have been from ingestion solely after the nursing period.

14 posted on 10/30/2003 1:38:20 PM PST by woofer
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To: DannyTN
"Wisdom" teeth?
21 posted on 10/30/2003 2:19:19 PM PST by Old Professer
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To: DannyTN
"Wouldn't this guy's baby teeth have fallen out about 6. So how can they tell from his teeth, what he was drinking from 3 to 5?"

Your secondary teeth are there, as tooth buds, at that age. They just don't start emerging 'til about age 7 or so.
30 posted on 10/30/2003 2:50:36 PM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: DannyTN
"Wouldn't this guy's baby teeth have fallen out about 6. So how can they tell from his teeth, what he was drinking from 3 to 5?"

You are correct, fortunately, his mother kept the teeth and a hank of baby hair and donated them to the researchers.

39 posted on 10/31/2003 2:41:30 PM PST by norton
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