Stable isotope analysis of bone apatite oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and carbon (δ¹³C) was undertaken for modern and archaeological spectacled hare wallaby (Lagorchestes conspicillatus) bone collected from an 1880s indentured labor confinement camp on Barrow Island in Western Australia. δ¹⁸O results and historical climate data indicate decreased annual precipitation during occupation of the site and provide insight into the conditions experienced by Aboriginal pearling laborers incarcerated on the offshore island. δ¹³C values may reflect variation in water availability or a short-term vegetation change resulting from landscape burning. This study is the first application of macropod bone apatite isotopic analysis in an Australian historical context and demonstrates its significant potential for identifying recent environmental changes to a high level of sensitivity.

对从 1880 年代西澳大利亚巴罗岛的契约劳工监禁营收集的现代和考古眼镜兔沙袋鼠 ( Lagorchestes conspicillatus ) 骨骼进行了骨骼磷灰石氧 (δ ¹⁸ O) 和碳 (δ ¹³ C)的稳定同位素分析。δ ¹⁸ O 结果和历史气候数据表明，在占领该地点期间年降水量减少，并提供了对被监禁在近海岛屿上的土著采珠劳工所经历的条件的洞察。δ ¹³C 值可能反映水资源可用性的变化或景观燃烧导致的短期植被变化。这项研究是在澳大利亚历史背景下首次应用大足类骨磷灰石同位素分析，并展示了其在识别近期环境变化到高灵敏度方面的巨大潜力。