Using bone bioapatite yield for quality control in stable isotope analysis applications

•This study investigated bone bioapatite yield as a sample quality indicator.•Bioapatite yield of modern skeletal remains ranged from 21% to 63%.•In comparison, prehistoric bone in the best condition had yields of 29–62%.•Prehistoric samples in poor condition had significantly higher bioapatite yields.•Modern samples provided yield limits for bone prepared for stable isotope analysis.