Surf and turf: A dataset of stable isotope values of plants and animals from southern California

This article presents baseline isotope values for plant and animal samples collected from across southern California. A total of 80 samples representing 50 species were collected and analyzed for this project. This original dataset includes 31 plant species, 13 finfish species, 3 mollusk species, 2 crustacean species, and 1 echinoderm. Plant samples were collected by the authors and an undergraduate research assistant in San Diego and Santa Barbara counties. Animal samples were procured from local fishers in San Diego and Santa Barbara. All samples were subjected to stable isotope analysis at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). In this paper we present our new δ(13)C and δ(15)N data alongside previously published values from three other studies [1], [2], [3]. The previously published values reproduced here were derived from a mix of modern and archaeological samples. Together, these data represent the most complete dataset currently available for southern California baseline stable isotope values. The full combined dataset can be found in the Supplemental Data included with this paper, while Table 1 presents a comparison of defatted and untreated faunal specimens. These data will be of use to archaeologists and ecologists conducting future isotope studies on the Pacific Coast of North America.