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.

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.

Article

• Dimkovikj, Valerie H., Staudinger, Michelle D., Legett, Henry D., France, Christine A. M., and Vecchione, Michael. 2025. "Using museum specimens of northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) to evaluate long-term ecological changes in the Northeast US Continental Shelf large marine ecosystem." Marine Biology, 172, (1) 10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-024-04571-7. 2025
• Shipley, Oliver N., Dabrowski, Anna J., Bowen, Gabriel J., Hayden, Brian, Pauli, Jonathan N., Jordan, Christopher, Anderson, Lesleigh, Bailey, Adriana, Bataille, Clement P., Cicero, Carla, Close, Hilary G., Cook, Craig, Cook, Joseph A., Desai, Ankur R., Evaristo, Jaivime, Filley, Tim R., France, Christine A. M., Jackson, Andrew L., Kim, Sora Lee, Kopf, Sebastian, Loisel, Julie, Manlick, Philip J., McFarlin, Jamie M., McMeans, Bailey C., O’Connell, Tamsin C. et al. 2024. "Design, development, and implementation of IsoBank: A centralized repository for isotopic data." PLOS ONE, 19, (9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0295662. 2024
• Foecke, Kimberly K., France, Christine A. M., and Brooks, Alison S. 2024. "Experimental assessment of the impact of food processing on δ15N values in dietary meat – Implications for paleodietary reconstruction." Journal of Archaeological Science, 169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2024.106024. 2024
• Bruwelheide, Karin S., Barca, Kathryn G., Schlachtmeyer, Sandra S., Owsley, Douglas W., France, Christine A. M., Burgess, James M., Bies, Brandon S., Orrence, Karen L., Creveling, Marian C., and Potter, Stephen R. 2023. "A Civil War Surgeon’s Pit at Manassas National Battlefield Park, Virginia." Historical Archaeology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-023-00436-w. 2023
• Scriber, Kevin E., France, Christine A. M., and Jackson, Fatimah L. C. 2023. "Assessing the Impact of Biodiversity (Species Evenness) on the Trophic Position of an Invasive Species (Apple Snails) in Native and Non-Native Habitats Using Stable Isotopes." Sustainability, 15, (11). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118560. 2023
• Willert, Madison S., France, Christine A. M., Baldwin, Carole C., and Hay, Mark E. 2023. "Historic trophic decline in New England's coastal marine ecosystem." Oecologia, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-023-05410-0. 2023
• Lin, Audrey T., Hammond-Kaarremaa, Liz, Liu, Hsiao-Lei, Stantis, Chris, McKechnie, Iain, Pavel, Michael, Pavel, Susan sa'hLa mitSa, Wyss, Senaqwila Sen̓áḵw, Sparrow, Debra qwasen, Carr, Karen, Aninta, Sabhrina Gita, Perri, Angela, Hartt, Jonathan, Bergström, Anders, Carmagnini, Alberto, Charlton, Sophy, Dalén, Love, Feuerborn, Tatiana R., France, Christine A. M., Gopalakrishnan, Shyam, Grimes, Vaughan, Harris, Alex, Kavich, Gwénaëlle M., Sacks, Benjamin N., Sinding, Mikkel-Holger S. et al. 2023. "The history of Coast Salish “woolly dogs” revealed by ancient genomics and Indigenous Knowledge." Science, 382, (6676) 1303–1308. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adi6549. 2023
• Scriber,Kevin Emmanuel, II, France, Christine A. M., and Jackson, Fatimah L. C. 2022. "Assessing the Impact of Biodiversity (Species Evenness) on The Trophic Position of an Invasive Species (Apple Snails) in Native and Non-Native Habitats Using Stable Isotopes." ResearchSquare Preprint, https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1379176/v1. 2022
• Sugiyama, Nawa, Sugiyama, Saburo, Cagnato, Clarissa, France, Christine A. M., Iriki, Atsushi, Hughes, Karissa S., Singleton, Robin R., Thornton, Erin, and Hofman, Courtney A. 2022. "Earliest evidence of primate captivity and translocation supports gift diplomacy between Teotihuacan and the Maya." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119, (47). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2212431119. 2022
• Martínez-Polanco, María Fernanda, Rivals, Florent, Sugiyama, Nawa, France, Christine A. M., Castro Méndez, Sergio Andrés, Jiménez-Acosta, Máximo, Martín, Juan Guillermo, and Cooke, Richard G. 2022. "Human ecological impacts on islands: Exemplified by a dwarf deer (Cervidae: Mazama sp.) on Pedro Gonzalez Island, Pearl Island Archipelago, Pacific Panama (6.2–5.6 kya)." Journal of Archaeological Science, 143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2022.105613. 2022
• Scriber, Kevin E., France, Christine A. M., and Jackson, Fatimah L. C. 2022. "Invasive Apple Snail Diets in Native vs. Non-Native Habitats Defined by SIAR (Stable Isotope Analysis in R)." Sustainability, 14, (12). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127108. 2022
• 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/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., Kavich, Gwénaëlle M., and Qi, Haiping. 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
• 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

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. Hughes, John and Howind, Torsten, editors. 1129–1136. Paisley: University of the West of Scotland. 2016
• 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. Holden, Amanda, Stevens, Sarah, Carlson, Julia, Petersen, Glenn, Schuetz, Emily, and Summerour, Rebecca, editors. 55–62. American Institute for Conservation. 2012

Presentation

• France, Christine A. M. and Sarancha, J. J. 2024. Establishing longitudinal regional origins in East Coast North America using a modern strontium and sulfur isoscape in deer bones from Virginia, USA [presentation]. Society of American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, April 18, 2024. New Orleans, Louisiana: Society of American Archaeology.
• France, Christine A. M. 2024. You are what you eat – what the chemical signatures in ancient bones can tell us about diet and geographic origins of individuals [presentation]. September 6, 2024. Washington, DC: National Museum of Natural History.
• France, Christine A. M. 2024. You are what you eat: recording human environments in bones and teeth [presentation]. Girls in STEM Meeting, January 26, 2024. Arlington, Virginia: Arlington Tech High School.