

France, Christine
Positions
- Research Scientist, Museum Conservation Institute 2008 -
Background And Education
Professional Biography
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My primary field of interest is stable isotope applications to vertebrate paleontology and archaeology. I utilize stable isotopes in well preserved bones and teeth as proxies for ecological influences, diet, climate, demographics, and physiologic mechanisms. To this end I also study the preservation of vertebrate fossil material with an emphasis on the potential diagenetic alteration of original isotopic values.
In addition to my personal research I manage the Smithsonian MCI Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry Laboratory which performs stable isotope analyses (C, N, O, H, S) for all Smithsonian units. I oversee all users of the facility, provide technical support, and consult on a variety of projects.
My current research focuses on reconstructing diet, mobility, and demographics in archeological populations through stable isotope data. I have been working with several North American 18th and 19th century sites to determine the best isotope markers for dietary preferences, region of origin, and social class. Additionally I have been collaborating on several other archaeological sites throughout the world investigating similar questions. My isotope lab also participates in numerous Smithsonian research projects examining climate, ecology, and provenance from a variety of materials.
Another main area of my research analyzes the preservation of isotope signals in museum collections. I am currently collaborating on new methods for determining quality of bone preservation, including Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and proteomics.
I am also examining the effect of different chemical preservation treatments on isotope values in bones and teeth. I am attempting to determine which treatments result in isotopic exchange between applied chemicals and the original bones/teeth.
Research And Grants
research overview
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My primary field of interest is stable isotope applications to vertebrate paleontology and archaeology. I utilize stable isotopes in well preserved bones and teeth as proxies for ecological influences, diet, climate, demographics, and physiologic mechanisms. To this end I also study the preservation of vertebrate fossil material with an emphasis on the potential diagenetic alteration of original isotopic values.
In addition to my personal research I manage the Smithsonian MCI Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry Laboratory which performs stable isotope analyses (C, N, O, H, S) for all Smithsonian units. I oversee all users of the facility, provide technical support, and consult on a variety of projects.
My current research focuses on reconstructing diet, mobility, and demographics in archeological populations through stable isotope data. I have been working with several North American 18th and 19th century sites to determine the best isotope markers for dietary preferences, region of origin, and social class. Additionally I have been collaborating on several other archaeological sites throughout the world investigating similar questions. My isotope lab also participates in numerous Smithsonian research projects examining climate, ecology, and provenance from a variety of materials.
Another main area of my research analyzes the preservation of isotope signals in museum collections. I am currently collaborating on new methods for determining quality of bone preservation, including Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and proteomics.
I am also examining the effect of different chemical preservation treatments on isotope values in bones and teeth. I am attempting to determine which treatments result in isotopic exchange between applied chemicals and the original bones/teeth.
co-principal investigator on
investigator on
Publications
selected publications
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article
- Thompson, Randall C., Thompson, Elaine C., Narula, Navneet, Wann, L. Samuel, Kwong, Ian, Sutherland, M. Linda, Sutherland, James D., Narula, Jagat, Allam, Adel H., France, Christine A. M., Michalik, David E., Lunde, Darrin, Finch, Caleb E., Hunt, David R., and Frohlich, Bruno. 2021. "Imaging atherosclerosis in great apes." Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging 14 (6):1275-1277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmg.2020.10.022 2021
- Cleland, Timothy P., Sarancha, Julianne J., and France, Christine A. M. 2021. "Proteomic profile of bone "collagen" extracted for stable isotopes: implications for bulk and single amino acid analyses." Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 35 (6):Article e9025. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9025 2021
- Smith, Kerri J., Trueman, Clive N., France, Christine A. M., Sparks, Jed P., Brownlow, Andrew C., Dähne, Michael, Davison, Nicholas J., Guðmundsson, Guðmundur, Khidas, Kamal, Kitchener, Andrew C., Langeveld, Bram W., Lesage, Véronique, Meijer, Hanneke J. M., Ososky, John J., Sabin, Richard C., Timmons, Zena L., Víkingsson, Gísli A., Wenzel, Frederick W., and Peterson, Markus J. 2021. "Stable Isotope Analysis of Specimens of Opportunity Reveals Ocean-Scale Site Fidelity in an Elusive Whale Species." Frontiers in Conservation Science 2:https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.653766 2021
- Sugiyama, Nawa, France, Christine A. M., Cooke, Richard G., and Martínez-Polanco, María Fernanda. 2020. "Collagen and carbonate isotope data of fauna from pre-Columbian Panama." Data in Brief 31:105974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2020.105974 2020
- Sugiyama, Nawa, Martínez-Polanco, María Fernanda, France, Christine A. M., and Cooke, Richard G. 2020. "Domesticated landscapes of the neotropics: Isotope signatures of human-animal relationships in pre-Columbian Panama." Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 59:Article 101195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2020.101195 2020
- Willert, Madison S., France, Christine A. M., Brooks, Barrett L., Baldwin, Carole C., and Hay, Mark E. 2020. "Effects of formalin preservation on carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of seaweeds: A foundation for looking back in time." Limnology and Oceanography-Methods https://doi.org/10.1002/lom3.10397 2020
- France, Christine A. M., Sugiyama, Nawa, and Aguayo, Esther. 2020. "Establishing a preservation index for bone, dentin, and enamel bioapatite mineral using ATR-FTIR." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 33:Article-102551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102551 2020
- Smith, Kerri J., Trueman, Clive N., France, Christine A. M., and Peterson, Markus J. 2020. "Evaluation of two lipid removal methods for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis in whale tissue." Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 34 (18):https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.8851 2020
- France, Christine A. M., Owsley, Douglas W., Bruwelheide, Karin S., Renschler, Emily S., Barca, Kathryn G., and DeCorse, Christopher R. 2020. "Stable isotopes from the African site of Elmina, Ghana and their usefulness in tracking the provenance of enslaved individuals in 18th‐ and 19th‐century North American populations." American Journal of Physical Anthropology 171 (2):298-318. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23946 2020
- France, Christine A. M., Kaczkowski, Rebecca A., Kavich, Gwénaëlle M., and Epitropou, Anastasia. 2020. "The effects of cyclododecane and subsequent removal on δ15N, δ13C, and δ18O values in collagen and bioapatite of a modern bone." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 31:Article 102367. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102367 2020
- Sugiyama, Nawa, Fash, William, and France, Christine A. M. 2019. "Creating the cosmos, reifying power: A Zooarchaeological investigation of corporal animal forms in the Copan Valley." Cambridge Archaeological Journal 1-36. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774319000040 2019
- Mantha, Madhavi, Kubachka, Kevin M., Urban, John R., Dasenbrock, Catherine O., Chernyshev, Anatoly, Mark, William A., France, Christine A. M., Chartrand, Michelle, Hache, Jonathan, Decoeur, Sylvain, and Qi, Haiping. 2019. "Economically Motivated Adulteration of Lemon Juice: Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy in Comparison with Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry: Round-Robin Study." Journal of AOAC International 102 (5):1544-1551. https://doi.org/10.5740/jaoacint.18-0401 2019
- Wiley, Anne E., Rossman, Sam, Ostrom, Peggy H., France, Christine A. M., Penniman, Jay, Bailey, Cathleen, Duvall, Fern, Zipkin, Elise F., and James, Helen F. 2019. "From ecologically equivalent individuals to contrasting colonies: quantifying isotopic niche and individual foraging specialization in an endangered oceanic seabird." Marine Biology 166 (3):https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-019-3483-7 2019
- Faiman, Roy, Dao, Adama, Yaro, Alpha Seydou, Diallo, Moussa, Djibril, Samake, Sanogo, Zana Lamissa, Ousmane, Yossi, Sullivan, Margery, Veru, Laura, Krajacich, Benjamin J., Krishna, Asha, Matthews, Joy, France, Christine A. M., Hamer, Gabriel, Hobson, Keith A., and Lehmann, Tovi. 2019. "Marking mosquitoes in their natural larval sites using 2 H‐enriched water: A promising approach for tracking over extended temporal and spatial scales." Methods in Ecology and Evolution 10 (8):1274-1285. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13210 2019
- Bruwelheide, Karin S., Owsley, Douglas W., Barca, Kathryn G., France, Christine A. M., Little, Nicole C., and Comer, Elizabeth Anderson. 2019. "Restoring Identity to People and Place: Reanalysis of Human Skeletal Remains from a Cemetery at Catoctin Furnace, Maryland." Historical Archaeology 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-019-00214-7 2019
- France, Christine A. M., Epitropou, Anastasia, and Kavich, Gwénaëlle M. 2019. "The effects of cellulose nitrate treatment and organic solvent removal on δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O values of collagen and bioapatite in modern mammal bone." Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 11:1421-1429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-018-0616-8 2019
- Staudinger, Michelle D., Dimkovikj, Valerie H., France, Christine A. M., Jorgensen, Elaina M., Judkins, Heather, Lindgren, Annie, Shea, Elizabeth K., and Vecchione, Michael. 2019. "Trophic ecology of the deep-sea cephalopod assemblage near Bear Seamount in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean." Marine Ecology Progress Series 629:67-86. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13121 2019
- France, Christine A. M., Qi, Haiping, and Kavich, Gwénaëlle M. 2018. "Combined influence of meteoric water and protein intake on hydrogen isotope values in archaeological human bone collagen." Journal of Archaeological Science 96:33-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2018.05.011 2018
- Sugiyama, Nawa, Fash, William L., and France, Christine A. M. 2018. "Jaguar and puma captivity and trade among the Maya: Stable isotope data from Copan, Honduras." PLOS ONE 13 (9):1-24. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202958 2018
- Madden, Odile, Chan, Dora Man Wai, Dundon, Morgan, and France, Christine A. M. 2018. "Quantifying collagen quality in archaeological bone: Improving data accuracy with benchtop and handheld Raman spectrometers." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 18:596-605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2017.11.034 2018
- Thompson, Randall C., Wann, L., Narula, Navneet, Narula, Jagat, Sutherland, M. L., Sutherland, James, Allam, Adel, France, Christine A. M., and Frohlich, Bruno. 2016. "Assessment of Missing Links in Atherogenesis: Pilot Study of Great Apes and Humans." Journal of the American College of Cardiology 67 (13):1766. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0735-1097(16)31767-3 2016
- Turner, Benjamin L., Condron, Leo M., France, Christine A. M., Lehmann, Johannes, Solomon, Dawit, Peltzer, Duane A., and Richardson, Sarah J. 2016. "Sulfur dynamics during long-term ecosystem development." Biogeochemistry 128 (3):281-305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-016-0208-6 2016
- France, Christine A. M., Giaccai, Jennifer A., and Doney, Charlotte R. 2015. "Brief Communication: The Effects of Paraloid B-72 and Butvar B-98 Treatment and Organic Solvent Removal on δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O Values of Collagen and Hydroxyapatite in a Modern Bone." American Journal of Physical Anthropology 157 (2):330-338. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.22697 2015
- West, C. A. and France, Christine A. M. 2015. "Human and canid relationships: a comparative stable isotope analysis of domestic dog (^Canis familiaris^) and red fox (^Vulpes vulpes^) from Kodiak Island, Alaska." Journal of Ethnobiology 35 (3):519-535. https://doi.org/10.2993/etbi-35-03-519-535.1 2015
- France, Christine A. M. and Owsley, Douglas W. 2015. "Stable Carbon and Oxygen Isotope Spacing Between Bone and Tooth Collagen and Hydroxyapatite in Human Archaeological Remains." International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 25 (3):299-312. https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.2300 2015
- Vaslet, A., Phillips, D. L., France, Christine A. M., Feller, Ilka C., and Baldwin, Carole C. 2015. "Trophic behaviour of juvenile reef fishes inhabiting interlinked mangrove-seagrass habitats in offshore mangrove islets." Journal of fish biology 87 (2):256-273. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.12715 2015
- France, Christine A. M., Thomas, Daniel B., Doney, Charlotte R., and Madden, Odile. 2014. "FT-Raman spectroscopy as a method for screening collagen diagenesis in bone." Journal of Archaeological Science 42:346-355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.11.020 2014
- France, Christine A. M., Owsley, Douglas W., and Hayek, Lee-Ann C. 2014. "Stable isotope indicators of provenance and demographics in 18th and 19th century North Americans." Journal of Archaeological Science 42:356-366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.10.037 2014
- France, Christine A. M., Sheppard, P. R., Cano, N., Little, Nicole C., and Speakman, Robert J. 2014. "Stable isotopic and chemical indicators of volcanic eruptions in tree rings from Parícutin, Mexico." Proceedings of the 38th International Symposium on Archaeometry, Open Journal of Archaeometry 2:37-42. 2014
- Moini, Mehdi, O'Halloran, Aoife, Peters, Alan M., France, Christine A. M., Vicenzi, Edward P., DeWitt, Tamsen G., Langan, Esther, Walsh, Tim, and Speakman, Robert J. 2014. "Understanding irregular shell formation of Nautilus in aquaria: Chemical composition and structural analysis." Zoo biology 33 (4):285-294. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21132 2014
- Moini, Mehdi, Rollman, Christopher M., and France, Christine A. M. 2013. "Dating Human Bone: Is Racemization Dating Species-Specific?." Analytical Chemistry 85 (23):11211-11215. https://doi.org/10.1021/ac402917z 2013
- Ballard, Mary W., France, Christine A. M., Moini, Mehdi, and Solazzo, Caroline. 2012. "Dating Silk and Other Innovations in Mass Spectrometry." in The Textile Specialty Group PostPrints: Papers Delivered at the Textile Subgroup Session (AIC 40th Annual Meeting) Volume 22, edited by Holden, Amanda, Stevens, Sarah, Carlson, Julia, Petersen, Glenn, Schuetz, Emily, and Summerour, Rebecca., 55-62. American Institute for Conservation. 2012
- Vaslet, Amandine, France, Christine A. M., Baldwin, Carole C., and Feller, Ilka C. 2012. "Dietary habits of juveniles of the Mayan cichlid Cichlasoma urophthalmus, in mangrove ponds of an offshore islet in Belize, Central America." Neotropical Ichthyology 10 (3):667-674. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-62252012000300021 2012
- Vaslet, Amandine, Phillips, D. L., France, Christine A. M., Feller, Ilka C., and Baldwin, Carole C. 2012. "The relative importance of mangroves and seagrass beds as feeding areas for resident and transient fishes among different mangrove habitats in Florida and Belize: Evidence from dietary and stable-isotope analyses." Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology 434-435:81-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2012.07.024 2012
- Vaslet, Amandine, France, Christine A. M., Phillips, D. L., Feller, Ilka C., and Baldwin, Carole C. 2011. "Stable‐isotope analyses reveal the importance of seagrass beds as feeding areas for juveniles of the speckled worm eel Myrophis punctatus (Teleostei: Ophichthidae) in Florida." Journal of Fish Biology 79 (3):692-706. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2011.03052.x 2011
- France, Christine A. M., Giaccai, Jennifer A., and Cano, Nadia. 2011. "The effects of PVAc treatment and organic solvent removal on [delta]13C, [delta]15N, and [delta]18O values of collagen and hydroxyapatite in a modern bone." Journal of Archaeological Science 38 (12):3387-3393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2011.07.024 2011
- Marra, Peter P., Dove, Carla J., Dolbeer, Richard, Dahlan, N. F., Heacker, M., Whatton, James F., Diggs, N. E., France, Christine A. M., and Henkes, G. A. 2009. "Migratory Canada geese cause crash of US Airways Flight 1549." Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 7 (6):297-301. https://doi.org/10.1890/090066 2009
- France, Christine A. M., Zelanko, Paula M., Kaufman, Alan J., and Holtz, Thomas R., Jr. 2007. "Carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis of Pleistocene mammals from the Saltville Quarry (Virginia, USA): Implications for trophic relationships." Palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology 249 (3-4):271-282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.02.002 2007
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chapter
- Grissom, Carol A., Vicenzi, Edward P., Giaccai, Jennifer, Little, Nicole C., France, Christine A. M., Charola, A. Elena, and Livingston, Richard A. 2016. "Analysis and Treatment of the Fire-Damaged Marble Plaque from Thomas Jefferson's Grave Marker." in Science and Art: A Future for Stone: Proceedings of the 13th International Congress on the Deterioration and Conservation of Stone, Volume 2, edited by Hughes, John and Howind, Torsten., 1129-1136. University of the West of Scotland. 2016
Affiliation
member of
Other
Location
- Museum Conservation Institute Academic Department