Faculty profile

Paul Szpak

ResearcherArchaeologyTrent University

This profile is built from public research funding records (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) and PubMed. We have not imported them from a Trent University directory, so their courses and email address may be missing. Find their university profile.

Paul Szpak

Researcher

Archaeology

Trent University

Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

Supervision signals

Has led research grants, which requires an independent research appointment. Ask their department whether they supervise graduate students.
21 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 6 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 9 research grants (6 SSHRC, 3 NSERC), most recently in 2023.

These signals come from public records, including CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions. Ask the professor or the graduate program whether they are taking new students.

Academic metrics

Publications

154

Citations

Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

Counts cover the publications linked to this profile. Citations and the h-index appear when the source records them.

Profiles and links

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Signals and details

Research

Stable isotopes archaeological science subsistence agriculture paleoethnobotany Palaeoecology environmental archaeology, stable isotope analysis, historical ecology, biogeochemistry, human-environment interactions, human impacts on the environment Ancient biomolecules

Latest papers

Fed the same way? Exploring the influence of breastfeeding, weaning, and childhood diet on adult sex ratios through stable isotope analysis of incremental dentine in Medieval Tuscany, Italy (11th–15th c. CE)
PLoS ONE · 2026
Multiproxy stable isotope analysis provides insights into diet, animal management, and residential mobility in Old Bara, a metropolitan suburb of the Oyo Empire, West Africa.
PloS one · 2026
Ancient Mongolian aurochs and cattle genomes reveal population shifts associated with the expansion of herding.
iScience · 2026

All 40 publications

Latest funding

Unwinding ecologies of colonization through an animal lens
SSHRC · 2025 · Co-investigator
$283,063
Unraveling colonial ecologies of wetland agriculture
SSHRC · 2024 · Co-investigator
$43,035
An Urgent Replacement and Upgrade in Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry at Trent's Water Quality Centre
NSERC · 2023 · Principal investigator
$149,999

All 12 grants and awards

40 publications.

Fed the same way? Exploring the influence of breastfeeding, weaning, and childhood diet on adult sex ratios through stable isotope analysis of incremental dentine in Medieval Tuscany, Italy (11th–15th c. CE)

Amaro A, Fornaciari A, Giuffra V, Kim S-T, Knyf M, Szpak P, Kahlon B, Prowse TL

PLoS ONE20261 citations

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0338595

Multiproxy stable isotope analysis provides insights into diet, animal management, and residential mobility in Old Bara, a metropolitan suburb of the Oyo Empire, West Africa.

Akogun MO, Szpak P, Oelze VM, Leishman K, Hilsden J, Speller C, Janz L, Aleru JO, Ogundiran A

PloS one2026

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0345981 PMID: 41941522

Ancient Mongolian aurochs and cattle genomes reveal population shifts associated with the expansion of herding.

Brunson K, Witt KE, Monge S, Williams S, Singleton R, Peede D, Odsuren D, Bukhchuluun D, Cameron A, Szpak P, Amartuvshin C, Wright J, Pleuger S, Erdene M, Tumen D, Rogers L, Khatanbaatar D, Wilson V, Altanbayar Z, Molor A, Batdalai B, Galdan G, Janz L

iScience2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117409 PMID: 42733888

Four centuries of commercial whaling eroded 11,000 years of population stability in bowhead whales.

Westbury MV, Brown SC, Cabrera AA, Morales HE, Parreira B, Ma J, Coll Macià M, Rey-Iglesia A, Dyke A, Scharff-Olsen CH, Scott MB, Wiig Ø, Bachmann L, Kovacs KM, Lydersen C, Ferguson SH, Szpak P, Fordham DA, Lorenzen ED

Cell2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.02.022 PMID: 41850289

Variation in Human Bone Collagen Turnover Among Skeletal Elements.

Hall O, Forbes SL, Szpak P

American journal of biological anthropology2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.70199 PMID: 41560686

Stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human skin during decomposition.

Pawlowski R, Forbes SL, Szpak P

Forensic science international2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2026.112871 PMID: 41653844

Impact of Tusk Anomalies on the Long-Term Foraging Ecology of Narwhals.

Louis M, Rey-Iglesia A, Routledge J, de Jager D, Skovrind M, Heide-Jørgensen MP, Kaiser TM, Kovacs KM, Lydersen C, Rosing-Asvid A, Szpak P, Lorenzen ED

Ecology and evolution2025

DOI: 10.1002/ece3.72376 PMID: 41200246

Solubilization of skin collagen improves the accuracy and reliability of stable isotope measurements.

Derian AAY, Pawlowski R, Szpak P

PeerJ2025Senior author

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.20152 PMID: 41081110

Changes in Inuit hunting practices coinciding with the introduction of firearms in Nunatsiavut: evidence from stable isotope analysis of ringed seals.

Miller MM, Szpak P, Woollett J

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences2025

DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2024.0038 PMID: 40635434

Greenland Norse walrus exploitation deep into the Arctic.

Ruiz-Puerta EJ, Jarrett G, McCarthy ML, Pan SE, Keighley X, Aiken M, Zampirolo G, Loonen MJJE, Gotfredsen AB, Howse LR, Szpak P, Pálsson S, Rufolo S, Malmquist HJ, Desjardins SPA, Olsen MT, Jordan PD

Science advances2024

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adq4127 PMID: 39331710

Unwinding ecologies of colonization through an animal lens

Co-investigatorSSHRC2025Insight Grants

Principal investigators: Guiry, Eric J.

$283,063

Unraveling colonial ecologies of wetland agriculture

Co-investigatorSSHRC2024Insight Development Grant

Principal investigators: Guiry, Eric

Keywords: Wetlands; Historical Archaeology; Environmental Archaeology; Stable isotopes; Human-Animal Relationships; Quebec; St. Lawrence; Trade; Archaeological science; Bone chemistry

$43,035

An Urgent Replacement and Upgrade in Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry at Trent's Water Quality Centre

Principal investigatorNSERC2023Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Szpak, Paul

$149,999

Discovery of biomarker signatures to accurately estimate time since death

Co-investigatorNSERC2022Discovery Horizons

Principal investigators: Forbes, Shari

Keywords: Biomarkers, ; Time since death; Metabolomic; Isotopic; Genomics; Forensic pathology; Forensic anthropology; Forensic odontology; Missing persons; Death investigations

$297,100

Exploring Long-Term Variation in Arctic Marine Ecosystems through Stable Isotope Analysis and Fatty Acid Biomarkers

Principal investigatorNSERC2020Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Szpak, Paul

Keywords: stable isotopes; palaeoecology; arctic; isotope ratio mass spectrometry; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; ancient biomolecules; marine mammals; marine ecosystems

$140,000

Exploring Long-Term Variation in Arctic Marine Ecosystems through Stable Isotope Analysis and Fatty Acid Biomarkers

Principal investigatorNSERC2020Discovery Launch Supplement

Principal investigators: Szpak, Paul

$12,500

Environmental Archaeology

Principal investigatorSSHRC2020Canada Research Chairs

Principal investigators: Szpak, Paul

$200,000

Environmental Archaeology

Principal investigatorSSHRC2020Canada Research Chairs

Principal investigators: Szpak, Paul

Keywords: Stable isotopes; archaeological science; historical ecology; palaeoecology

$200,000

Life Histories of Wichita Ancestors

Principal investigatorSSHRC2020Insight Development Grant

Principal investigators: Szpak, Paul

Keywords: Stable isotopes; Bioarchaeology; Palaeodiet; Palaeomobility; Regional interaction; Residential mobility; Archaeological science; Bone chemistry

$69,459

Identifying Intensification in Prehispanic Andean Agropastoral Systems

Principal investigatorSSHRC2019Insight Grants

Principal investigators: Szpak, Paul

Keywords: stable isotopes; archaeological science; subsistence; agriculture; paleoethnobotany

$289,511

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

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Paul Szpak

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Fed the same way? Exploring the influence of breastfeeding, weaning, and childhood diet on adult sex ratios through stable isotope analysis of incremental dentine in Medieval Tuscany, Italy (11th–15th c. CE)

Multiproxy stable isotope analysis provides insights into diet, animal management, and residential mobility in Old Bara, a metropolitan suburb of the Oyo Empire, West Africa.

Ancient Mongolian aurochs and cattle genomes reveal population shifts associated with the expansion of herding.

Four centuries of commercial whaling eroded 11,000 years of population stability in bowhead whales.

Variation in Human Bone Collagen Turnover Among Skeletal Elements.

Stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human skin during decomposition.

Impact of Tusk Anomalies on the Long-Term Foraging Ecology of Narwhals.

Solubilization of skin collagen improves the accuracy and reliability of stable isotope measurements.

Changes in Inuit hunting practices coinciding with the introduction of firearms in Nunatsiavut: evidence from stable isotope analysis of ringed seals.

Greenland Norse walrus exploitation deep into the Arctic.

Unwinding ecologies of colonization through an animal lens

Unraveling colonial ecologies of wetland agriculture

An Urgent Replacement and Upgrade in Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry at Trent's Water Quality Centre

Discovery of biomarker signatures to accurately estimate time since death

Exploring Long-Term Variation in Arctic Marine Ecosystems through Stable Isotope Analysis and Fatty Acid Biomarkers

Exploring Long-Term Variation in Arctic Marine Ecosystems through Stable Isotope Analysis and Fatty Acid Biomarkers

Environmental Archaeology

Environmental Archaeology

Life Histories of Wichita Ancestors

Identifying Intensification in Prehispanic Andean Agropastoral Systems

Frequent collaborators

Eric Guiry

Lisa Janz

Tatiana Nomokonova

Hendrik Poinar

Michael Richards

Barry Gaulton

Sang-Tae Kim

Tracy Prowse

Ana Duggan

Camilla Speller

Paul Szpak

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Fed the same way? Exploring the influence of breastfeeding, weaning, and childhood diet on adult sex ratios through stable isotope analysis of incremental dentine in Medieval Tuscany, Italy (11th–15th c. CE)

Multiproxy stable isotope analysis provides insights into diet, animal management, and residential mobility in Old Bara, a metropolitan suburb of the Oyo Empire, West Africa.

Ancient Mongolian aurochs and cattle genomes reveal population shifts associated with the expansion of herding.

Four centuries of commercial whaling eroded 11,000 years of population stability in bowhead whales.

Variation in Human Bone Collagen Turnover Among Skeletal Elements.

Stable isotopes (&#x3b4;13C, &#x3b4;15N, &#x3b4;34S) of human skin during decomposition.

Impact of Tusk Anomalies on the Long-Term Foraging Ecology of Narwhals.

Solubilization of skin collagen improves the accuracy and reliability of stable isotope measurements.

Changes in Inuit hunting practices coinciding with the introduction of firearms in Nunatsiavut: evidence from stable isotope analysis of ringed seals.

Greenland Norse walrus exploitation deep into the Arctic.

Unwinding ecologies of colonization through an animal lens

Unraveling colonial ecologies of wetland agriculture

An Urgent Replacement and Upgrade in Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry at Trent's Water Quality Centre

Discovery of biomarker signatures to accurately estimate time since death

Exploring Long-Term Variation in Arctic Marine Ecosystems through Stable Isotope Analysis and Fatty Acid Biomarkers

Exploring Long-Term Variation in Arctic Marine Ecosystems through Stable Isotope Analysis and Fatty Acid Biomarkers

Environmental Archaeology

Environmental Archaeology

Life Histories of Wichita Ancestors

Identifying Intensification in Prehispanic Andean Agropastoral Systems

Frequent collaborators

Eric Guiry

Lisa Janz

Tatiana Nomokonova

Hendrik Poinar

Michael Richards

Barry Gaulton

Sang-Tae Kim

Tracy Prowse

Ana Duggan

Camilla Speller

Stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human skin during decomposition.