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Gregory KA, Francesiaz C, Jiguet F, Besnard A. A synthesis of recent tools and perspectives in migratory connectivity studies. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:69. [PMID: 37891684 PMCID: PMC10605477 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00388-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Migration movements connect breeding and non-breeding bird populations over the year. Such links, referred to as migratory connectivity, have important implications for migratory population dynamics as they dictate the consequences of localised events for the whole population network. This calls for concerted efforts to understand migration processes for large-scale conservation. Over the last 20 years, the toolbox to investigate connectivity patterns has expanded and studies now consider migratory connectivity over a broader range of species and contexts. Here, we summarise recent developments in analysing migratory connectivity, focusing on strategies and challenges to pooling various types of data to both optimise and broaden the scope of connectivity studies. We find that the different approaches used to investigate migratory connectivity still have complementary strengths and weaknesses, whether in terms of cost, spatial and temporal resolution, or challenges in obtaining large sample sizes or connectivity estimates. Certain recent developments offer particularly promising prospects: robust quantitative models for banding data, improved precision of geolocators and accessibility of telemetry tracking systems, and increasingly precise probabilistic assignments based on genomic markers or large-scale isoscapes. In parallel, studies have proposed various ways to combine the information of different datasets, from simply comparing the connectivity patterns they draw to formally integrating their analyses. Such data combinations have proven to be more accurate in estimating connectivity patterns, particularly for integrated approaches that offer promising flexibility. Given the diversity of available tools, future studies would benefit from a rigorous comparative evaluation of the different methodologies to guide data collection to complete migration atlases: where and when should data be collected during the migratory cycle to best describe connectivity patterns? Which data are most favourable to combine, and under what conditions? Are there methods for combining data that are better than others? Can combination methods be improved by adjusting the contribution of the various data in the models? How can we fully integrate connectivity with demographic and environmental data? Data integration shows strong potential to deepen our understanding of migratory connectivity as a dynamic ecological process, especially if the gaps can be bridged between connectivity, population and environmental models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Killian A Gregory
- Master de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.
- CESCO, MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | | | | | - Aurélien Besnard
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Montpellier, France
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2
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de Medeiros Costa G, Lázaro WL, Hurtado TC, Teodoro PE, Davée Guimarães JR, Ignácio ÁRA, Filho MDS, Díez S. New insights on the use of bill sheath as a biomonitoring tool for mercury in two kingfisher species: A comparison with different tissues. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 218:114966. [PMID: 36455629 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Bird species have been widely used as suitable bioindicators of environmental mercury (Hg). However, there is still some debate about the most suitable tissue to indicate Hg body burden in birds. For a long time, blood and feathers have proved to be relevant to monitor Hg at different time scales, and recently, bill sheath has been suggested as a potential tissue to this end. In the present study, we evaluated THg in muscle, liver, feathers, claws, and bill sheath in two waterbird species (i.e. the ringed and the Amazon kingfishers) from the Teles Pires, Juruena and Paraguay rivers. Considering all species and sites, feathers (5.47 ± 2.15 μg/g) and bill sheath (3.39 ± 1.37 μg/g) had mean THg concentrations about 2-, 3- and 10-times higher than claws, liver and muscle, respectively. When bird species were segregated, the ringed kingfisher showed THg values 1.8 times higher than the Amazon kingfisher in all tissues. Moreover, results showed that the Amazon kingfisher from the Juruena and Teles Pires rivers was clearly separated from the Paraguay River (control site), and was associated with higher THg values in the claws and feathers. Results obtained for the THg concentrations in bill sheath, muscle and liver tissues of the Amazon kingfisher using multivariate analysis of canonical variates (CVA) showed a pattern of segregation between the sampling areas, being the highest THg values in Teles Pires River samples. The largest bill sheath vector in the CVA suggests that this tissue is a key variable in the segregation of the samples. Overall, feathers may be useful for effects monitoring or spatial patterns, whereas bill sheath, which are more invasive, may be advantejous for temporal trends and retrospective studies of Hg pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerlane de Medeiros Costa
- Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences, Limnology Research Center, Biodiversity, Ethnobiology of the Pantanal (CELBE), State University of Mato Grosso - UNEMAT, Cáceres Campus, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Wilkinson Lopes Lázaro
- Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences, Limnology Research Center, Biodiversity, Ethnobiology of the Pantanal (CELBE), State University of Mato Grosso - UNEMAT, Cáceres Campus, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Thaysa Costa Hurtado
- Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences, Limnology Research Center, Biodiversity, Ethnobiology of the Pantanal (CELBE), State University of Mato Grosso - UNEMAT, Cáceres Campus, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | | | - Jean Remy Davée Guimarães
- Tracers Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Áurea Regina Alves Ignácio
- Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences, Limnology Research Center, Biodiversity, Ethnobiology of the Pantanal (CELBE), State University of Mato Grosso - UNEMAT, Cáceres Campus, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Manoel Dos Santos Filho
- Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences, Limnology Research Center, Biodiversity, Ethnobiology of the Pantanal (CELBE), State University of Mato Grosso - UNEMAT, Cáceres Campus, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Sergi Díez
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
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Lamar SK, Altobelli JT, Nelson NJ, Ormsby DK. Investigating the link between morphological characteristics and diet in an island population of omnivorous reptiles (Sphenodon punctatus). Biol Open 2022; 11:277379. [PMID: 36239241 PMCID: PMC9581517 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphological characteristics that impact feeding ecology in ectotherms, particularly reptiles, are poorly understood. We used morphometric measures and stable isotope analysis (carbon-13 and nitrogen-15) to assess the link between diet and functional morphology in an island population of an evolutionarily unique reptile, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). First, we established a significant positive correlation between overall body size, gape size, and fat store in tuatara (n=56). Next, we describe the relationship between stable isotope profiles created from whole blood and nail trim samples and demonstrate that nail trims offer a low-impact method of creating a long-term dietary profile in ectotherms. We used nitrogen-15 values to assess trophic level in the population and found that tuatara on Takapourewa forage across multiple trophic levels. Finally, we found a significant relationship between gape size and carbon-13 (linear regression: P<0.001), with tuatara with large gapes showing dietary profiles that suggest a higher intake of marine (seabird) prey. However, whether body size or gape size is the primary adaptive characteristic allowing for more optimal foraging is yet unknown. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Lamar
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand.,Center for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | | | - Nicola J Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand.,Center for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Diane K Ormsby
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
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4
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Viciano J, López-Lázaro S, Tanga C. Post-Mortem Dental Profile as a Powerful Tool in Animal Forensic Investigations—A Review. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12162038. [PMID: 36009628 PMCID: PMC9404435 DOI: 10.3390/ani12162038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Veterinary forensics is becoming more important in our society as a result of the growing demand for investigations related to crimes against animals or investigations of criminal deaths caused by animals. A veterinarian may participate as an expert witness or may be required to give forensic assistance, by providing knowledge of the specialty to establish a complete picture of the involvement of an animal and allowing the Courts to reach a verdict. By applying diverse dental profiling techniques, not only can species, sex, age-at-death, and body size of an animal be estimated, but also data about their geographical origin (provenance) and the post-mortem interval. This review concentrates on the dental techniques that use the characteristics of teeth as a means of identification of freshly deceased and skeletonised animals. Furthermore, this highlights the information that can be extracted about the animal from the post-mortem dental profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Viciano
- Department of Medicine and Ageing Sciences, ‘G. d’Annunzio’ University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Correspondence: (J.V.); (S.L.-L.); (C.T.)
| | - Sandra López-Lázaro
- Departamento de Antropología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 6850331, Chile
- Forensic Dentistry Lab, Centro de Investigación en Odontología Legal y Forense–CIO–, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
- Correspondence: (J.V.); (S.L.-L.); (C.T.)
| | - Carmen Tanga
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.V.); (S.L.-L.); (C.T.)
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5
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Turbek SP, Schield DR, Scordato ESC, Contina A, Da XW, Liu Y, Liu Y, Pagani-Núñez E, Ren QM, Smith CCR, Stricker CA, Wunder M, Zonana DM, Safran RJ. A migratory divide spanning two continents is associated with genomic and ecological divergence. Evolution 2022; 76:722-736. [PMID: 35166383 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Migratory divides are contact zones between breeding populations with divergent migratory strategies during the nonbreeding season. These locations provide an opportunity to evaluate the role of seasonal migration in the maintenance of reproductive isolation, particularly the relationship between population structure and features associated with distinct migratory strategies. We combine light-level geolocators, genomic sequencing, and stable isotopes to investigate the timing of migration and migratory routes of individuals breeding on either side of a migratory divide coinciding with genomic differentiation across a hybrid zone between barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) subspecies in China. Individuals west of the hybrid zone, with H. r. rustica ancestry, had comparatively enriched stable-carbon and hydrogen isotope values and overwintered in eastern Africa, whereas birds east of the hybrid zone, with H. r. gutturalis ancestry, had depleted isotope values and migrated to southern India. The two subspecies took divergent migratory routes around the high-altitude Karakoram Range and arrived on the breeding grounds over 3 weeks apart. These results indicate that assortative mating by timing of arrival and/or selection against hybrids with intermediate migratory traits may maintain reproductive isolation between the subspecies, and that inhospitable geographic features may have contributed to the diversification of Asian avifauna by influencing migratory patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheela P Turbek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
| | - Drew R Schield
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
| | - Elizabeth S C Scordato
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.,Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, California, 91768
| | - Andrea Contina
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, 80217
| | - Xin-Wei Da
- College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Emilio Pagani-Núñez
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Qing-Miao Ren
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Chris C R Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
| | - Craig A Stricker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526
| | - Michael Wunder
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, 80217
| | - David M Zonana
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, 80210
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
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6
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Navarro AB, Magioli M, Moreira MZ, Silveira LF. Perspectives and challenges on isotopic ecology of terrestrial birds in Brazil. ZOOLOGIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/s1984-4689.v39.e21023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcelo Magioli
- Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Brazil; Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Brazil
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7
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Pagani-Núñez E, Liang D, He C, Liu Y, Luo X, Goodale E. Dynamic trait-niche relationships shape niche partitioning across habitat transformation gradients. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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8
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Attard MRG, Lewis A, Wroe S, Hughes C, Rogers TL. Whisker growth in Tasmanian devils (
Sarcophilus harrisii
) and applications for stable isotope studies. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marie R. G. Attard
- Department of Biological Sciences Royal Holloway University of London Egham TW20 0EX UK
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Anna Lewis
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- The Carnivore Conservancy Ulverstone Tasmania Australia
| | - Stephen Wroe
- Function, Evolution and Anatomy Research Laboratory School of Environmental and Rural Science University of New England Armidale New South Wales Australia
| | - Channing Hughes
- The Carnivore Conservancy Ulverstone Tasmania Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Tracey L. Rogers
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
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9
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Navarro AB, Magioli M, Bogoni JA, Silveira LF, Moreira MZ, Alexandrino ER, da Luz DTA, Silva WR, Pizo MA, de Oliveira VC, Ferraz KMPMDB. Isotopic niches of tropical birds reduced by anthropogenic impacts: a 100‐year perspective. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Beatriz Navarro
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
- Seção de Aves, Museu de Zoologia da Univ. de São Paulo São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Marcelo Magioli
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Inst. Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade Atibaia SP Brazil
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Inst. Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade Atibaia SP Brazil
| | - Juliano André Bogoni
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
| | | | - Marcelo Zacharias Moreira
- Laboratório de Ecologia Isotópica, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura – Univ. de São Paulo Piracicaba SP Brazil
| | - Eduardo Roberto Alexandrino
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
- Inst. Nacional da Mata Atlântica Santa Teresa ES Brazil
- Univ. de São Paulo Piracicaba SP Brazil
- Inst. Nacional da Mata Atlântica Santa Teresa ES Brazil
| | - Daniela Tomasio Apolinario da Luz
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
| | - Wesley Rodrigues Silva
- Laboratório de Interações Vertebrados Plantas, Depto de Biologia Animal, Inst. de Biologia, Univ. Estadual de Campinas Campinas SP Brazil
| | - Marco Aurelio Pizo
- Inst. de Biociências, Depto de Zoologia, Univ. Estadual Paulista Rio Claro SP Brazil
| | - Vanessa Cristina de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
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10
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Dos Santos RL, de Sousa Correia JM, Dos Santos EM. Freshwater aquatic reptiles (Testudines and Crocodylia) as biomonitor models in assessing environmental contamination by inorganic elements and the main analytical techniques used: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:498. [PMID: 34287720 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09212-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite the general lack of studies that use reptiles as bioindicators, the value of freshwater turtles and crocodilians in ecotoxicology has been proven, due to their importance as sentinel species. The aim of this study was to compile information on the use of freshwater turtles and crocodilians as environmental biomonitors of inorganic element contamination. We searched for articles in databases using specific keywords. A total of 104 studies published between the years 1970 and 2020 were collected. We noted a general increase in the number of studies involving turtles and crocodilians during the study time period. The Order Testudines were the subjects of 46% of the analysed publications, and the Order Crocodylia accounted for 54%. Within these studies, we counted 39 species (turtles n = 29 and crocodilians n = 10). Forty chemical elements were evaluated in the analysed articles, of which the majority represented non-essential elements (Hg, Cd, Pb). Although internal organs constituted the main biological matrix chosen for each group (37%), we observed an increase in the use of non-destructive matrices in both groups (scale, blood, tail muscle, carapace). The majority of analysed studies used HNO3 for the sample decomposition, with the majority of analyses being performed using atomic absorption spectroscopy (53%). Mainly blank controls (19%), analyte recovery (18%) and replicates (18%) were used as methods of validating analytical procedures. Furthermore, the studies used certified reference materials, which measure the accuracy of the methods used. We conclude that the increase in the use of aquatic reptiles in environmental monitoring research is mainly due to their ability to reveal integrated changes in ecosystems, aiding in environmental public policy decision-making and effective management plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayssa Lima Dos Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação, Av. Gregório Ferraz Nogueira, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Serra Talhada, PE, Brazil.
| | | | - Ednilza Maranhão Dos Santos
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Manoel de Medeiros, Recife, PE, Brazil
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11
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Morganti M, Polesello S, Pascariello S, Ferrario C, Rubolini D, Valsecchi S, Parolini M. Exposure assessment of PFAS-contaminated sites using avian eggs as a biomonitoring tool: A frame of reference and a case study in the Po River valley (Northern Italy). INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2021; 17:733-745. [PMID: 33764673 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
For many years, eggs of diverse bird species have been used as monitoring tools in studies investigating perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, especially in marine and remote areas. Avian eggs are a suitable monitoring matrix because they are relatively easy to collect and their yolks store diverse maternally transferred PFAS. Moreover, the concentrations of PFAS detected in the eggs are a good proxy for maternal exposure and allow the assessment of the potential risk for birds. These features support the use of avian eggs as a key monitoring tool in exposure assessment of PFAS-contaminated sites. We first review the recent application of avian eggs in PFAS monitoring in environmental risk assessment schemes, highlighting strengths and limitations and suggesting which criteria should be considered when selecting a proper study species and structuring the sampling and analytical protocol. Eventually, we report findings from a field study realized in 2020 near a perfluoropolymer factory site in the upper Po plain (Northern Italy), revealing an unprecedented contamination level of PFOA and C6O4 in three species of wild passerines. In future, long-term monitoring of PFAS contamination using avian eggs should be maintained, to provide crucial information on the temporal trend of fluorochemical production and waste disposal, while facilitating early identification of emerging PFAS as well as the quantification of their biomagnification across the trophic web. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:733-745. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelangelo Morganti
- Water Research Institute-National Research Council of Italy, IRSA-CNR, Brugherio, MB, Italy
| | - Stefano Polesello
- Water Research Institute-National Research Council of Italy, IRSA-CNR, Brugherio, MB, Italy
| | - Simona Pascariello
- Water Research Institute-National Research Council of Italy, IRSA-CNR, Brugherio, MB, Italy
| | - Claudia Ferrario
- Water Research Institute-National Research Council of Italy, IRSA-CNR, Brugherio, MB, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Valsecchi
- Water Research Institute-National Research Council of Italy, IRSA-CNR, Brugherio, MB, Italy
| | - Marco Parolini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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12
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Andersson AA, Gibson L, Baker DM, Cybulski JD, Wang S, Leung B, Chu LM, Dingle C. Stable isotope analysis as a tool to detect illegal trade in critically endangered cockatoos. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. A. Andersson
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong SAR China
| | - L. Gibson
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen China
| | - D. M. Baker
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong SAR China
| | - J. D. Cybulski
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong SAR China
| | - S. Wang
- School of Life Sciences The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - B. Leung
- School of Life Sciences The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - L. M. Chu
- School of Life Sciences The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - C. Dingle
- Division of Ecology & Biodiversity School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Hong Kong SAR China
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13
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Liang D, Yang S, Pagani-Núñez E, He C, Liu Y, Goodale E, Liao WB, Hu J. How to Become a Generalist Species? Individual Niche Variation Across Habitat Transformation Gradients. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.597450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Species in transformed habitats, frequently labeled as environmental generalists, tend to show broader niches than species in natural habitats. However, how population niche expansion translates into changes in the niches of individual organisms remains unclear, particularly in the context of habitat transformation. Niche expansion could be a product of individuals having broader niches, greater distances among individuals’ niches, or a combination of both processes. This would challenge the traditional conceptions on niche dynamics, which emphasize the role played by individual specialization (IS). Here, using stable isotopes, we computed total niche width (TNW), its within- and between-individual components (WIC and BIC), and IS (the ratio WIC/TNW), in 13 populations of 6 bird species and 8 populations of 3 frog species in natural and transformed habitats. We confirmed that species had broader niche width in transformed than in natural habitats, yet population niche expansion across habitats was mainly a product of increased distance between individuals. Within each habitat type, increases in TNW were linked to increases in WIC for all habitat types, while relationships between TNW and BIC were found in transformed but not in natural habitats. Hence, both increased individual niche width and increased distance among individuals were apparent within habitats, particularly in transformed ones, where increases in WIC dominated. Neither across or within habitats was niche expansion associated with increasing IS. Therefore, our results overturn traditional conceptions associated with the niche variation hypothesis and illustrate that niche expansion is not invariably associated with increased IS, because the distance between individual’s niches (BIC) can increase, as well as the breadth of those niches (WIC).
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14
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Zhou X, Mammides C, Zhou X, Hobson KA, Zhu H, Wen Y, Jiang A. Food web structure in exotic eucalyptus plantations in Southern China: Stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) analyses reveal the importance of understory and landscape-level planning. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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Low KE, Ramsden DK, Jackson AK, Emery C, Robinson WD, Randolph J, Eagles-Smith CA. Songbird feathers as indicators of mercury exposure: high variability and low predictive power suggest limitations. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1281-1292. [PMID: 31115737 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-019-02052-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Although feathers are commonly used to monitor mercury (Hg) in avian populations, their reliability as a sampling matrix has not been thoroughly assessed for many avian species, including most songbirds (Order Passeriformes). To better understand relationships between total Hg (THg) concentrations in feathers and other tissues for birds in the thrush and sparrow families, we (1) examined variation in THg concentrations among tissues, including feathers from six different tracts, nails, liver, and muscle; (2) tested relationships between THg concentrations in the various feather tracts and those in internal tissues from the same birds, to assess the predictive power of feather THg, and; (3) compared these relationships to those between THg concentrations in nails and internal tissues, to assess the viability of nails as a non-lethal sampling alternative. THg concentrations in all feather tracts and nails were consistently higher than those in the liver and muscle, and THg was higher in the thrushes than the sparrows. When comparing feather tracts, we observed high variation within some individuals, suggesting that estimates of Hg exposure could vary depending on which feather was sampled. Despite this variation, feather type had little effect on the predictive power of feather THg concentrations, which ranged from extremely weak in the sparrows (0.09 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.16) to moderate (0.29 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.42) in the thrushes. Alternatively, we found that nail samples better predicted internal tissue THg concentrations in both the thrushes (0.44 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.48) and sparrows (0.70 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.78). Nails have been used to monitor Hg in mammals and reptiles, but their reliability as a sampling matrix for monitoring Hg in avian populations has yet to be assessed for most taxa. While nails exhibit stronger relationships to internal tissue THg concentrations, they may not be an effective sampling option for all avian species because the collection of sizable nail samples could harm living birds, particularly small songbirds. However, this method may be reasonable for retrospective museum studies. Overall, our results suggest that, despite their current use in the literature, feathers are not a suitable sampling matrix for Hg monitoring in some songbird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Low
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
| | - Danielle K Ramsden
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Allyson K Jackson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
- Department of Environmental Studies, Purchase College, SUNY, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, New York, NY, 10577, USA
| | - Colleen Emery
- U. S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - W Douglas Robinson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Jim Randolph
- U. S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U. S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
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Méndez V, Alves JA, Þórisson B, Marca A, Gunnarsson TG, Gill JA. Individual variation in migratory behavior in a subarctic partial migrant shorebird. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Migratory behavior can differ markedly amongst individuals within populations or species. Understanding the factors influencing this variation is key to understanding how current environmental changes might influence migratory propensity and the distribution and abundance of migratory species across their range. Here, we investigate variation in migratory behavior of the partially migratory Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) population breeding in Iceland. We use the resightings of color-ringed adults and stable isotopes to determine whether individuals migrate or remain in Iceland during winter and test whether individual migratory strategies vary in relation to sex, body size, and breeding location. We also explore individual consistency in migratory strategy and test whether assortative mating with respect to strategy occurs in this population. The proportion of migrants and residents varied greatly across breeding locations but not with respect to sex or body size. Individuals were consistent in migratory strategy between years and there was no evidence of assortative mating by migratory strategy. We use these findings to explore factors underlying the evolution and maintenance of partial migration at high latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Méndez
- South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Lindarbraut, Laugarvatn, Iceland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - José A Alves
- South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Lindarbraut, Laugarvatn, Iceland
- Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Böðvar Þórisson
- South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Lindarbraut, Laugarvatn, Iceland
| | - Alina Marca
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Tómas G Gunnarsson
- South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Lindarbraut, Laugarvatn, Iceland
| | - Jennifer A Gill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
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Petrov K, Spencer RJ, Malkiewicz N, Lewis J, Keitel C, Van Dyke JU. Prey-switching does not protect a generalist turtle from bioenergetic consequences when its preferred food is scarce. BMC Ecol 2020; 20:11. [PMID: 32070322 PMCID: PMC7027299 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-020-00279-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optimal foraging theory explains how animals make foraging decisions based on the availability, nutritional content, and handling times of different food types. Generalists solve this problem by consuming a variety of food types, and alter their diets with relative ease. Specialists eat few food types, and may starve if those food types are not available. We integrated stable isotope analyses with previously-published stomach contents and environmental data to investigate how the foraging ecologies of three sympatric freshwater turtle species vary across four wetlands that differ in turbidity and primary producer abundance. RESULTS We found that the generalist Emydura macquarii consumes a varied diet (but mostly filamentous green algae) when primary producers are available and water is clear, but switches to a more carnivorous diet when the water is turbid and primary producers are scarce, following the predictions of optimal foraging theory. In contrast, two more-specialized carnivorous species, Chelodina expansa and Chelodina longicollis, do not differ in diet across wetlands, and interspecific competition may increase where E. macquarii is carnivorous. When forced to be more carnivorous, E. macquarii exhibits higher rates of empty stomachs, and female turtles have reduced body condition, but neither Chelodina species are affected. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide support for optimal foraging theory, but also show that the ability to change diet does not protect the generalist from experiencing lower foraging success when its preferred food is rare, with direct consequences for their energy budgets. Our results have conservation implications because wetlands in the Murray-Darling river system are increasingly turbid and have low macrophyte abundance, and all three species are declining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Petrov
- School of Science, Hawkesbury Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag, 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
| | - Ricky-John Spencer
- School of Science, Hawkesbury Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag, 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Natasha Malkiewicz
- School of Science, Hawkesbury Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag, 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Jessica Lewis
- School of Science, Hawkesbury Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag, 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Claudia Keitel
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, 380 Werombi Road, Brownlow Hill, NSW, 2570, Australia
| | - James U Van Dyke
- School of Science, Hawkesbury Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag, 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- School of Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Albury-Wodonga Campus, PO Box 821, Wodonga, VIC, 3689, Australia
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18
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Jiguet F, Kardynal KJ, Hobson KA. Stable isotopes reveal captive vs wild origin of illegally captured songbirds in France. Forensic Sci Int 2019; 302:109884. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.109884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Akresh ME, King DI, Marra PP. Rainfall and habitat interact to affect the condition of a wintering migratory songbird in The Bahamas. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8042-8061. [PMID: 31380070 PMCID: PMC6662339 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
On the subtropical and tropical wintering grounds of migratory birds, variation in moisture levels and habitat can influence the availability of food resources and subsequently impact overwintering birds. Using stable carbon isotopes in blood samples as a measure of moisture, we assessed the interactive effects of rainfall, vegetation, and moisture on the demographics and condition of Prairie Warblers (Setophaga discolor) wintering in The Bahamas. Carbon isotopes in Prairie Warbler blood were more depleted in taller, wetter habitats; we additionally detected novel temporal effects of rainfall on isotope values. During a winter with more rainfall, most birds maintained mass and pectoral muscle regardless of the habitat type occupied. In a winter with less rainfall, birds lost mass and pectoral muscle, and this effect was more pronounced in birds with enriched isotope values and birds that occupied drier, shorter habitat. Prairie Warblers exhibited strong patterns of sexual habitat segregation with males disproportionately observed in areas with taller vegetation and females in shorter vegetation. During the drier winter, older males had better maintenance of pectoral muscle compared to females and younger individuals. Also in the drier winter, daily rainfall patterns explained more of the variation in body condition compared to the date of capture; pectoral muscle was best explained by recent precipitation (during the previous 30 days), while size-corrected mass was more a function of longer-term (90-day) rainfall and habitat moisture. Our findings along with other studies suggest that Prairie Warblers and other migratory birds are sensitive to interactions between annual variation in winter rainfall, within-season daily rainfall patterns, and habitat quality. Increasing drought and habitat loss in the Caribbean may be having a negative impact on wintering bird populations. To best conserve Nearctic-Neotropical migratory passerines in the region, we recommend prioritizing the protection of the least drought-prone wintering areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Akresh
- Department of Environmental ConservationUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstMassachusetts
- Department of Environmental StudiesAntioch University New EnglandKeeneNew Hampshire
| | - David I. King
- U.S. Forest Service Northern Research StationUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstMassachusetts
| | - Peter P. Marra
- Migratory Bird CenterSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteWashingtonDistrict of Columbia
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20
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Meier-Augenstein W. From stable isotope ecology to forensic isotope ecology - Isotopes' tales. Forensic Sci Int 2019; 300:89-98. [PMID: 31085431 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Stable isotope ecology and forensic isotope ecology are not only linked by name. More often than not, knowledge and insights gained through the former serve as a springboard for application focused work of the latter. This review aims to offer a glimpse into the fascinating world of both though with more emphasis on forensic isotope ecology. To this end a selection of past and recent published work is presented and discussed to highlight both potential and limitations of isotopic analytical approaches to the detection of illegal trade in plants and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfram Meier-Augenstein
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, The Sir Ian Wood Building, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ, UK.
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21
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Guaraldo AC, Kelly JF, Marini MÂ. Independent trophic behavior and breeding success of a resident flycatcher and a coexisting migratory congener. AUSTRAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- André C. Guaraldo
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservaçäo; Behavioral Ecology and Ornithology Lab; Universidade de Federal do Paraná; Curitiba 81530-900 Brazil
| | - Jeffrey F. Kelly
- Department of Biology; Oklahoma Biological Survey; University of Oklahoma; Norman Oklahoma USA
| | - Miguel Â. Marini
- Departamento de Zoologia; Universidade de Brasília; Brasília DF Brazil
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22
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Alexander J, Downs CT, Butler M, Woodborne S, Symes CT. Stable isotope analyses as a forensic tool to monitor illegally traded African grey parrots. Anim Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Alexander
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - C. T. Downs
- School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - M. Butler
- iThemba LABS Johannesburg South Africa
| | - S. Woodborne
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- iThemba LABS Johannesburg South Africa
| | - C. T. Symes
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
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23
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Sheppard CE, Marshall HH, Inger R, Thompson FJ, Vitikainen EIK, Barker S, Nichols HJ, Wells DA, McDonald RA, Cant MA. Decoupling of Genetic and Cultural Inheritance in a Wild Mammal. Curr Biol 2018; 28:1846-1850.e2. [PMID: 29804813 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cultural inheritance, the transmission of socially learned information across generations, is a non-genetic, "second inheritance system" capable of shaping phenotypic variation in humans and many non-human animals [1-3]. Studies of wild animals show that conformity [4, 5] and biases toward copying particular individuals [6, 7] can result in the rapid spread of culturally transmitted behavioral traits and a consequent increase in behavioral homogeneity within groups and populations [8, 9]. These findings support classic models of cultural evolution [10, 11], which predict that many-to-one or one-to-many transmission erodes within-group variance in culturally inherited traits. However, classic theory [10, 11] also predicts that within-group heterogeneity is preserved when offspring each learn from an exclusive role model. We tested this prediction in a wild mammal, the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), in which offspring are reared by specific adult carers that are not their parents, providing an opportunity to disentangle genetic and cultural inheritance of behavior. We show using stable isotope analysis that young mongooses inherit their adult foraging niche from cultural role models, not from their genetic parents. As predicted by theory, one-to-one cultural transmission prevented blending inheritance and allowed the stable coexistence of distinct behavioral traditions within the same social groups. Our results confirm that cultural inheritance via role models can promote rather than erode behavioral heterogeneity in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Sheppard
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Harry H Marshall
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK; Centre for Research in Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Richard Inger
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Faye J Thompson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Emma I K Vitikainen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Sam Barker
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Hazel J Nichols
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - David A Wells
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - Robbie A McDonald
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Michael A Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK.
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24
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Sheppard CE, Inger R, McDonald RA, Barker S, Jackson AL, Thompson FJ, Vitikainen EIK, Cant MA, Marshall HH, Bourke A. Intragroup competition predicts individual foraging specialisation in a group-living mammal. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:665-673. [PMID: 29542220 PMCID: PMC5947261 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Individual foraging specialisation has important ecological implications, but its causes in group-living species are unclear. One of the major consequences of group living is increased intragroup competition for resources. Foraging theory predicts that with increased competition, individuals should add new prey items to their diet, widening their foraging niche ('optimal foraging hypothesis'). However, classic competition theory suggests the opposite: that increased competition leads to niche partitioning and greater individual foraging specialisation ('niche partitioning hypothesis'). We tested these opposing predictions in wild, group-living banded mongooses (Mungos mungo), using stable isotope analysis of banded mongoose whiskers to quantify individual and group foraging niche. Individual foraging niche size declined with increasing group size, despite all groups having a similar overall niche size. Our findings support the prediction that competition promotes niche partitioning within social groups and suggest that individual foraging specialisation may play an important role in the formation of stable social groupings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E. Sheppard
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenryn CampusCornwallTR10 9FEUK
| | - Richard Inger
- Environment and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of ExeterPenryn CampusCornwallTR10 9FEUK
| | - Robbie A. McDonald
- Environment and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of ExeterPenryn CampusCornwallTR10 9FEUK
| | - Sam Barker
- Environment and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of ExeterPenryn CampusCornwallTR10 9FEUK
| | - Andrew L. Jackson
- Department of ZoologySchool of Natural SciencesTrinity College DublinDublin 2Ireland
| | - Faye J. Thompson
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenryn CampusCornwallTR10 9FEUK
| | - Emma I. K. Vitikainen
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenryn CampusCornwallTR10 9FEUK
- Department of BiosciencesUniversity of HelsinkiPO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1)HelsinkiFI‐00014Finland
| | - Michael A. Cant
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenryn CampusCornwallTR10 9FEUK
| | - Harry H. Marshall
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenryn CampusCornwallTR10 9FEUK
- Centre for Research in Ecology, Evolution and BehaviourUniversity of RoehamptonLondonSW15 4JDUK
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25
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English PA, Green DJ, Nocera JJ. Stable Isotopes from Museum Specimens May Provide Evidence of Long-Term Change in the Trophic Ecology of a Migratory Aerial Insectivore. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Mutirwara R, Radloff FGT, Codron D. Growth rate and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope trophic discrimination factors of lion and leopard whiskers. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:33-47. [PMID: 28971533 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 09/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Stable isotope analysis (SIA) of whiskers has been used to identify temporal feeding habits, intra-population diet variation, as well as individual dietary specialisation of marine and terrestrial carnivores. However, the potential of the method to disclose such dietary information for large wild felids is hampered by lack of information on species-specific whisker growth rates, whisker growth patterns and whisker-diet trophic discrimination factors (TDFs). METHODS Whisker growth rates and growth patterns were measured for four lions (Panthera leo) and one leopard (Panthera pardus) held at the National Zoological Gardens, Pretoria, South Africa. Actively growing whiskers of the felids were 'marked' four times over 185 days using 13 C-depleted, C3 -based giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) meat. The periods with low δ13 C values, identified following serial sectioning of the regrown whiskers at 1 mm intervals and isotopic analysis, were then correlated to specific giraffe meat feeding bouts and hence growth periods. δ13 C and δ15 N whisker-diet TDFs were estimated for five lions whose diet remained consistent over multiple years. RESULTS The whisker growth rates of three lionesses and the leopard were similar (mean = 0.65 mm day-1 ), despite species, sex and age differences. There was a decrease in whisker growth rate over time, suggesting a non-linear whisker growth pattern. However, linear and non-linear growth simulations showed slight differences between the two growth patterns for the proximal ~50 mm of whiskers. δ13 C and δ15 N lion whisker-diet TDFs were also similar amongst individuals (mean = 2.7 ± 0.12 ‰ for δ13 C values and 2.5 ± 0.08 ‰ for δ15 N values), irrespective of age and sex. CONCLUSIONS The whisker growth rate and δ13 C and δ15 N lion whisker-diet TDFs obtained in this study can be applied in future studies to assign dietary information contained in analysed felid whiskers to the correct time period and improve deductions of prey species consumed by wild felids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruwimbo Mutirwara
- Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, PO Box 652, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
| | - Frans G T Radloff
- Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, PO Box 652, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
| | - Daryl Codron
- Florisbad Quaternary Research Department, National Museum, PO Box 266, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
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27
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Hofman-Kamińska E, Bocherens H, Borowik T, Drucker DG, Kowalczyk R. Stable isotope signatures of large herbivore foraging habitats across Europe. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190723. [PMID: 29293647 PMCID: PMC5749876 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated how do environmental and climatic factors, but also management, affect the carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope composition in bone collagen of the two largest contemporary herbivores: European bison (Bison bonasus) and moose (Alces alces) across Europe. We also analysed how different scenarios of population recovery- reintroduction in bison and natural recovery in moose influenced feeding habitats and diet of these two species and compared isotopic signatures of modern populations of bison and moose (living in human-altered landscapes) with those occurring in early Holocene. We found that δ13C of modern bison and moose decreased with increasing forest cover. Decreasing forest cover, increasing mean annual temperature and feeding on farm crops caused an increase in δ15N in bison, while no factor significantly affected δ15N in moose. We showed significant differences in δ13C and δ15N among modern bison populations, in contrast to moose populations. Variation in both isotopes in bison resulted from inter-population differences, while in moose it was mainly an effect of intra-population variation. Almost all modern bison populations differed in δ13C and δ15N from early Holocene bison. Such differences were not observed in moose. It indicates refugee status of European bison. Our results yielded evidence that habitat structure, management and a different history of population recovery have a strong influence on foraging behaviour of large herbivores reflected in stable isotope signatures. Influence of forest structure on carbon isotope signatures of studied herbivores supports the “canopy effect” hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hervé Bocherens
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Forschungsbereich Paläobiologie, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoecology (HEP), Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tomasz Borowik
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Dorothée G. Drucker
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Forschungsbereich Paläobiologie, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoecology (HEP), Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rafał Kowalczyk
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
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Crowley BE, Slater PA, Arrigo-Nelson SJ, Baden AL, Karpanty SM. Strontium isotopes are consistent with low-elevation foraging limits for Henst's goshawk. WILDLIFE SOC B 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E. Crowley
- University of Cincinnati; Departments of Geology and Anthropology; 500 Geology Physics Building Cincinnati OH 45221 USA
| | - Philip A. Slater
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Department of Anthropology; 607 S Mathews Avenue, M/C 148 Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Summer J. Arrigo-Nelson
- California University of Pennsylvania; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; 250 University Avenue − Box 45 California PA 15419 USA
| | - Andrea L. Baden
- Hunter College, of the City University of New York; Department of Anthropology; 695 Park Avenue New York NY 10065 USA
| | - Sarah M. Karpanty
- Virginia Tech; Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation; 310 W Campus Drive, Cheatham Hall, Room 106 (MC 0321) Blacksburg VA 24061 USA
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Gómez-Ramírez P, Bustnes JO, Eulaers I, Herzke D, Johnsen TV, Lepoint G, Pérez-García JM, García-Fernández AJ, Jaspers VLB. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in plasma and feathers of nestling birds of prey from northern Norway. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 158:277-285. [PMID: 28662453 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Plasma samples from nestlings of two top predators, White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) from northern Norway were analysed for a wide range of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Body feathers from the White-tailed eagles were also analysed and significant associations between specific PFASs in blood plasma and body feathers were found (0.36 <R2 < 0.67; all p < 0.05). This result suggests that analysing body feathers of White-tailed eagle could potentially be a useful non-invasive strategy to monitor PFASs exposure in nestlings of this species. White-tailed eagles showed significantly higher levels of contaminants than Northern goshawks (plasma ∑PFASs Median = 45.83 vs 17.02ngmL-1, p <0.05). The different exposure between both species seemed to be related to different dietary input, as quantified by stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of body feathers. A priori, the bird of prey populations studied are not at risk for PFASs, since the levels in plasma of both species were hundreds to thousand times lower than the toxic reference values reported for predatory birds. However, further studies on larger sample sizes are needed to confirm this hypothesis since toxic thresholds for nestling birds of prey are not established.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Gómez-Ramírez
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
| | - J O Bustnes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, The Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - I Eulaers
- Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - D Herzke
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research, 9010 Tromsø, Norway
| | - T V Johnsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, The Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - G Lepoint
- Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège, B6c, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - J M Pérez-García
- Ecology Area, Department of Applied Biology, University Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain; Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - A J García-Fernández
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - V L B Jaspers
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7024 Trondheim, Norway
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30
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Colborne SF, Fisk AT, Johnson TB. Tissue-specific turnover and diet-tissue discrimination factors of carbon and nitrogen isotopes of a common forage fish held at two temperatures. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2017; 31:1405-1414. [PMID: 28590512 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The application of stable isotopes to foraging ecology is dependent on understanding life-history and environmental factors unrelated to diet that may influence isotopic composition. Diet-tissue discrimination factors (DTDFs) and turnover rates will increase the accuracy of isotope-based studies. Furthermore, little consideration has been given to the effects of temperature or life-history stage on isotopic ratios despite the prevalence of variation in temperature and growth rates throughout life. METHODS We measured δ13 C and δ15 N values with an elemental analyzer coupled to a continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer. These values were used to estimate turnover and DTDFs for Emerald Shiners (Notropis atherinoides), a common North American freshwater forage fish. Fish were assigned to a temperature treatment, either 10°C (Low) or 20°C (High), and provided one of three diets (commercial pellet, Artemia salina, or Hemimysis anomala). At regular intervals fish were sampled and the isotopic compositions of whole body and liver tissues were determined. RESULTS Tissue turnover rates for fish fed Artemia were faster for liver than for whole body, but were also influenced by temperature. Turnover occurred faster at higher temperatures for body and liver δ15 N values, but not for δ13 C values. The pellet and Hemimysis treatments were in isotopic equilibrium from the start of the experiment and estimated DTDFs based on these treatments were lower than assumed for Δ15 N (+0.6 to 2.7‰) and variable, but within expected ranges for Δ13 C (-1.9 to +1.5‰). CONCLUSIONS The results for Emerald Shiners differed from commonly made assumptions for applying stable isotopes to ecological questions, possibly related to a bias in the use of juveniles in studies of turnover and DTDFs and assumptions regarding thermal-independence of isotopic relationships. The species-specific DTDF and tissue turnover estimates provided here will inform interpretations of stable isotope data for smaller fish species and improve food-web studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S F Colborne
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - A T Fisk
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - T B Johnson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Glenora Fisheries Station, Picton, ON, Canada
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31
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Rogers TL, Fung J, Slip D, Steindler L, O'Connell TC. Calibrating the time span of longitudinal biomarkers in vertebrate tissues when fine‐scale growth records are unavailable. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tracey L. Rogers
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Jeffery Fung
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - David Slip
- Taronga Conservation Society Australia Bradley's Head Road Mosman, Sydney New South Wales 2088 Australia
| | - Lisa Steindler
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Tamsin C. O'Connell
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
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32
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Furness EN, Furness RW. Influences of feather wear and age on wing lengths of Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/03078698.2016.1260838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert W. Furness
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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33
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Villegas M, Newsome SD, Blake JG. Seasonal patterns in δ 2 H values of multiple tissues from Andean birds provide insights into elevational migration. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:2381-2387. [PMID: 27907263 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Elevational migration is a widespread phenomenon in tropical avifauna but it is difficult to identify using traditional approaches. Hydrogen isotope (δ2 H) values of precipitation decrease with elevation so δ2 H analysis of multiple bird tissues with different isotopic incorporation rates may be a reliable method for characterizing seasonal elevational migration. Here we compare δ2 H values in metabolically inert (feathers and claws) and metabolically active (whole blood) tissues to examine whether an upslope migration occurs prior to the breeding season in the Yungas Manakin (Chiroxiphia boliviana). We compare results from C. boliviana with data from a known elevational migrant, the Streak-necked Flycatcher (Mionectes striaticollis). Opposite to our expectations, tissue δ2 H values increased over time, largely reflecting seasonal patterns in precipitation δ2 H rather than elevational effects; linear mixed-effects models with strongest support included ordinal date, tissue type, and elevation. This seasonal increase in precipitation δ2 H is a general phenomenon in both tropical and temperate mountain ranges. We use these data to propose a hypothetical framework that predicts different patterns in tissue δ2 H values collected in different seasons from residents and elevational migrants. This framework can serve as a reference for future studies that assess elevational migration in birds and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Villegas
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
| | - Seth D Newsome
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA
| | - John G Blake
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
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34
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Lattanzio M, Miles D. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope discrimination and turnover in a small-bodied insectivorous lizard. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2016; 52:673-81. [PMID: 26999652 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2016.1154854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory experiments are useful for estimating the carbon and nitrogen isotope discrimination factors and turnover rates that are critical for drawing field-based inferences on consumer diets using stable isotopes. Although the utility of these discrimination factors is widely recognized, work in terrestrial systems has largely been limited to studies involving mammals and birds. In contrast, scant attention has been paid to the application of isotopic techniques to reptiles, despite their broad diversity in terms of numbers of species as well as their trophic roles. Here we estimate carbon and nitrogen isotope discrimination factors and turnover for the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus) using a diet-switch experiment. Lizards were collected from a C4-dominated grassland and then switched to C3-based diet (crickets) in the laboratory. We estimated discrimination by lizard claw tissue as Δ(13)C = 1.2 ± 0.1 ‰ for carbon and Δ(15)N = 0.7 ± 0.1 ‰ (mean ± 1 SE) for nitrogen, with 95 % turnover occurring after ∼15.5 days. These estimates should be appropriate for use in trophic studies of U. ornatus, and possibly other related small-bodied insectivorous lizards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Lattanzio
- a Organismal and Environmental Biology , Christopher Newport University , Newport News , VA , USA
| | - Donald Miles
- b Biological Sciences , Ohio University , Athens , OH , USA
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35
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Huang T, Yang L, Chu Z, Sun L, Yin X. Geochemical record of high emperor penguin populations during the Little Ice Age at Amanda Bay, Antarctica. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 565:1185-1191. [PMID: 27261428 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are sensitive to the Antarctic climate change because they breed on the fast sea ice. Studies of paleohistory for the emperor penguin are rare, due to the lack of archives on land. In this study, we obtained an emperor penguin ornithogenic sediment profile (PI) and performed geochronological, geochemical and stable isotope analyses on the sediments and feather remains. Two radiocarbon dates of penguin feathers in PI indicate that emperor penguins colonized Amanda Bay as early as CE 1540. By using the bio-elements (P, Se, Hg, Zn and Cd) in sediments and stable isotope values (δ(15)N and δ(13)C) in feathers, we inferred relative population size and dietary change of emperor penguins during the period of CE 1540-2008, respectively. An increase in population size with depleted N isotope ratios for emperor penguins on N island at Amanda Bay during the Little Ice Age (CE 1540-1866) was observed, suggesting that cold climate affected the penguin's breeding habitat, prey availability and thus their population and dietary composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Huang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Lianjiao Yang
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Zhuding Chu
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Liguang Sun
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Xijie Yin
- Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen 361005, China
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36
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Robb GN, Harrison A, Woodborne S, Bennett NC. Diet composition of two common mole-rat populations in arid and mesic environments in South Africa as determined by stable isotope analysis. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. N. Robb
- Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria South Africa
| | - A. Harrison
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Science; University of Aberdeen; Aberdeen UK
| | | | - N. C. Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria South Africa
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37
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Use of stable isotope fingerprints to assign wintering origin and trace shorebird movements along the East Atlantic Flyway. Basic Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2015.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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38
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Spatial Isolation and Temporal Variation in Fitness and Condition Facilitate Divergence in a Migratory Divide. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144264. [PMID: 26656955 PMCID: PMC4681481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel migratory polymorphism evolved within the last 60 years in blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) breeding sympatrically in southwestern Germany. While most individuals winter in the traditional areas in the Mediterranean, a growing number of blackcaps started migrating to Britain instead. The rapid microevolution of this new strategy has been attributed to assortative mating and better physical condition of birds wintering in Britain. However, the isolating barriers as well as the physical condition of birds are not well known. In our study, we examined whether spatial isolation occurred among individuals with distinct migratory behaviour and birds with different arrival dates also differed in physical and genetic condition. We caught blackcaps in six consecutive years upon arrival on the breeding grounds and assigned them via stable isotope analysis to their wintering areas. Analysis of the vegetation structure within blackcap territories revealed different microhabitat preferences of birds migrating to distinct wintering areas. Blackcaps arriving early on the breeding grounds had higher survival rates, better body condition and higher multilocus heterozygosities than later arriving birds. We did however not find an effect of parasite infection status on arrival time. Our results suggest that early arriving birds have disproportionate effects on population dynamics. Allochrony and habitat isolation may thus act together to facilitate ongoing divergence in hybrid zones, and migratory divides in particular.
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39
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Lázaro WL, de Oliveira RF, dos Santos-Filho M, da Silva CJ, Malm O, Ignácio ÁRA, Díez S. Non-lethal sampling for mercury evaluation in crocodilians. CHEMOSPHERE 2015; 138:25-32. [PMID: 26026900 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Revised: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant that poses potential threats to ecosystems due to its toxicity to humans and wildlife. The development of non-lethal sampling techniques is a critical step for evaluation of Hg in threatened species in tropical floodplain environments, where most of Hg found is the result of land use and gold mining activities, and more methylation sites are available. We evaluated the spatial and seasonal effectiveness of caudal scutes and claws to estimate Hg bioaccumulation in crocodilians (Caiman yacare), in the scarcely documented Pantanal. Hence, we investigated the potential for Hg bioaccumulation in top predators according to its proximity to mining sites, and in water bodies with different hydrological characteristics and connectivity with the main river during two phases of the flood pulse (dry and flood). The highest Hg concentrations were detected in caimans captured close to mining activities, in claws (2176 ng g(-1) ww) and caudal scutes (388 ng g(-1) ww). THg concentration in claws was related to the flood season and its mean concentration was thirteen fold higher than Hg concentration in scutes during whole year. Both tissues were found to be effective as non-lethal sampling techniques for measuring Hg bioaccumulation in reptiles over time. Nevertheless, claw tissue seems to have a more consistent result, since its constitutional chemical characteristics makes it a better indicator of spatial patterns that influence on Hg exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilkinson L Lázaro
- Mato Grosso State University, UNEMAT, Biology Department, Cáceres, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Olaf Malm
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Eduardo Penna Franca Radioisotopes Laboratory, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Áurea R A Ignácio
- Mato Grosso State University, UNEMAT, Biology Department, Cáceres, Brazil
| | - Sergi Díez
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain.
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40
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Hegemann A, Marra PP, Tieleman BI. Causes and Consequences of Partial Migration in a Passerine Bird. Am Nat 2015; 186:531-46. [DOI: 10.1086/682667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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41
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Catry T, Lourenço PM, Lopes RJ, Carneiro C, Alves JA, Costa J, Rguibi‐Idrissi H, Bearhop S, Piersma T, Granadeiro JP. Structure and functioning of intertidal food webs along an avian flyway: a comparative approach using stable isotopes. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Catry
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência Universidade de Lisboa Rua da Escola Politécnica 58 1250‐102 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Pedro M. Lourenço
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência Universidade de Lisboa Rua da Escola Politécnica 58 1250‐102 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Ricardo J. Lopes
- CIBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos InBIO Laboratório Associado Universidade do Porto 4485‐661 Vairão Portugal
| | - Camilo Carneiro
- Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência Universidade de Lisboa Rua da Escola Politécnica 58 1250‐102 Lisboa Portugal
| | - José A. Alves
- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar Universidade de Aveiro Campus Universitário de Santiago 3180‐193 Aveiro Portugal
- South Iceland research Centre University of Iceland Tryggvagata 36 IS‐800 Selfoss Iceland
| | - Joana Costa
- Departamento de Biologia Animal Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa 1749‐016 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Hamid Rguibi‐Idrissi
- Faculté des Sciences Equipe de Recherche: Valorisation des Ressources Naturelles et Biodiversité Université Chouaib Doukkali El Jadida 24000 Morocco
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter Penryn Campus Penryn Cornwall TR10 9EZ UK
| | - Theunis Piersma
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research PO Box 59 1790 AB Den Burg Texel The Netherlands
- Animal Ecology Group Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies University of Groningen PO Box 11103 9700 CC Groningen The Netherlands
| | - José P. Granadeiro
- Departamento de Biologia Animal Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa 1749‐016 Lisboa Portugal
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42
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Robb G, Woodborne S, de Bruin P, Medger K, Bennett N. The influence of food quantity on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values in southern African spiny mice (Acomys spinosissimus). CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Stable isotope analysis is frequently applied as a tool to examine dietary patterns in animals. However, some of the underlying assumptions associated with using this approach are increasingly being questioned. We carried out a controlled diet experiment on the southern African spiny mouse (Acomys spinosissimus Peters, 1852) to test a number of aspects relating to these assumptions and also examine the hypothesis that stable isotopes, especially δ15N, can be used to provide evidence of nutritional stress. We compared the δ13C and δ15N values of livers and blood from animals that were fed ad libitum with animals undergoing a 10% reduction in food supply. Food-restricted animals showed no significant difference in δ15N; however, δ13C values of both liver and blood were depleted. Restricted animals also had a significantly lower C:N ratio. We examined the role of lipids and found following lipid extraction that both livers and lipids still showed the same separation in carbon values. Tissue–diet discrimination values were also calculated and found to be higher for both Δ13C and Δ15N compared with other mice species. Empirical values for discrimination rates were then compared with values calculated using an alternative method based on employing generic values and were found to be dissimilar, suggesting the use of generic values are not always appropriate. Our results highlight the need for greater understanding of the assumptions associated with using stable isotope analysis to examine diet and we suggest that studying a single species under captive conditions presents an ideal method to begin to test these hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- G.N. Robb
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - S. Woodborne
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- iThemba LABS, Private Bag 11, WITS 2050, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - P.R. de Bruin
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - K. Medger
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - N.C. Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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43
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Huang T, Sun L, Wang Y, Emslie SD. Paleodietary changes by penguins and seals in association with Antarctic climate and sea ice extent. CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN-CHINESE 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-014-0300-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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44
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Van Dyke JU, Steen DA, Jackson BP, Hopkins WA. Maternal transfer and embryonic assimilation of trace elements in freshwater turtles after remediation of a coal fly-ash spill. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2014; 194:38-49. [PMID: 25089891 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2014.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2014] [Revised: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Oviparous vertebrates maternally transfer elements to their offspring during egg production. Maternal transfer occurs because elements mimic, or are incorporated into, nutrients allocated to eggs, but likely differs among species depending on the quantities of specific nutrients allocated to eggs. Developing embryos are often assumed to assimilate all of the elements allocated to eggs, but this assumption has rarely been tested. We tested the hypothesis that maternal transfer and embryonic assimilation of trace elements differed between two species of freshwater turtles exposed to a recently-remediated coal fly-ash spill. Sternotherus odoratus transferred As, Se, and Zn, while Trachemys scripta transferred As, Hg, Se, Sr, and Zn. Logarithmic non-linear relationships between hatchling and egg concentrations indicated that turtles partially assimilated elements present in eggs. In systems contaminated with multiple trace elements, our data show that maternal transfer and embryonic assimilation are element- and species-specific, and may be inconsistent even among closely-related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- James U Van Dyke
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, 106 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - David A Steen
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, 106 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Trace Elements Analysis Core, Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - William A Hopkins
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, 106 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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45
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Magioli M, Moreira MZ, Ferraz KMB, Miotto RA, de Camargo PB, Rodrigues MG, da Silva Canhoto MC, Setz EF. Stable Isotope Evidence ofPuma concolor(Felidae) Feeding Patterns in Agricultural Landscapes in Southeastern Brazil. Biotropica 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Magioli
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC); Departamento de Ciências Florestais; Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’-ESALQ/USP; Avenida Pádua Dias, 11, Agronomia CEP 13418 - 900 Piracicaba São Paulo Brazil
| | - Marcelo Z. Moreira
- Laboratório de Ecologia Isotópica; Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura-CENA/USP; Av. Centenário, 303, São Dimas CEP 134169-03 Piracicaba São Paulo Brazil
| | - Katia Maria B. Ferraz
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC); Departamento de Ciências Florestais; Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’-ESALQ/USP; Avenida Pádua Dias, 11, Agronomia CEP 13418 - 900 Piracicaba São Paulo Brazil
| | - Renata A. Miotto
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC); Departamento de Ciências Florestais; Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’-ESALQ/USP; Avenida Pádua Dias, 11, Agronomia CEP 13418 - 900 Piracicaba São Paulo Brazil
| | - Plínio B. de Camargo
- Laboratório de Ecologia Isotópica; Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura-CENA/USP; Av. Centenário, 303, São Dimas CEP 134169-03 Piracicaba São Paulo Brazil
| | - Márcia G. Rodrigues
- Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade-ICMBio/MMA; ARIE Matão de Cosmópolis; Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz; Rua Pitágoras, 353 CEP 13070-040 Campinas São Paulo Brazil
| | - Mariana C. da Silva Canhoto
- Departamento de Biologia Animal; Universidade Estadual de Campinas-UNICAMP; Cidade Universitária; Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255 13083-862 Campinas São Paulo Brazil
| | - Eleonore F. Setz
- Departamento de Biologia Animal; Universidade Estadual de Campinas-UNICAMP; Cidade Universitária; Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255 13083-862 Campinas São Paulo Brazil
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Hopkins JB, Cutting KA, Warren JM. Use of stable isotopes to investigate keratin deposition in the claw tips of ducks. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81026. [PMID: 24282563 PMCID: PMC3839900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stable isotopes derived from the claws of birds could be used to determine the migratory origins of birds if the time periods represented in excised sections of claws were known. We investigated new keratin growth in the claws of adult female Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) by estimating the equilibration rates of stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, and δ2H) from the breeding grounds into 1 mm claw tips. We sampled birds on their breeding ground through time and found that it took approximately 3–3.5 months for isotope values in most claw tips to equilibrate to isotope values that reflected those present in the environment on their breeding grounds. Results from this study suggest that isotopes equilibrate slowly into claw tips of Lesser Scaup, suggesting isotopes could potentially be used to determine the wintering grounds of birds. We suggest using controlled feeding experiments or longitudinal field investigations to understand claw growth and isotopic equilibration in claw tips. Such information would be valuable in ascertaining whether claw tips can be used in future studies to identify the migratory origins of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- John B. Hopkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kyle A. Cutting
- Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lima, Montana, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey M. Warren
- Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lima, Montana, United States of America
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Blanco-Fontao B, Sandercock BK, Obeso JR, McNew LB, Quevedo M. Effects of sexual dimorphism and landscape composition on the trophic behavior of Greater Prairie-Chicken. PLoS One 2013; 8:e79986. [PMID: 24244588 PMCID: PMC3823567 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Partitioning of ecological niche is expected in lekking species that show marked sexual size dimorphism as a consequence of sex-specific ecological constraints. However, niche partitioning is uncertain in species with moderate sexual dimorphism. In addition, the ecological niche of a species may also be affected by landscape composition; particularly, agricultural fragmentation may greatly influence the trophic behavior of herbivores. We studied trophic niche variation in Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido), a grouse species that shows moderate sex-dimorphism. Greater Prairie-Chickens are native to tallgrass prairies of North America, although populations persist in less natural mosaics of cropland and native habitats. We used stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen in blood, claws and feathers to assess seasonal differences in trophic niche breadth and individual specialization between male and female Greater Prairie-Chickens, and between birds living in continuous and fragmented landscapes. We found that females showed broader niches and higher individual specialization than males, especially in winter and autumn. However, differences between females and males were smaller in spring when birds converge at leks, suggesting that females and males may exhibit similar feeding behaviors during the lekking period. In addition, we found that birds living in native prairies showed greater annual trophic variability than conspecifics in agricultural mosaic landscapes. Native habitats may provide greater dietary diversity, resulting in greater diversity of feeding strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Blanco-Fontao
- Research Unit of Biodiversity, (UO/CSIC/PA), Asturias, Spain
- Dpt. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Área de Ecología, Universidad de Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Brett K. Sandercock
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - José Ramón Obeso
- Research Unit of Biodiversity, (UO/CSIC/PA), Asturias, Spain
- Dpt. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Área de Ecología, Universidad de Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Lance B. McNew
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Mario Quevedo
- Research Unit of Biodiversity, (UO/CSIC/PA), Asturias, Spain
- Dpt. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Área de Ecología, Universidad de Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
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Van Dyke JU, Hopkins WA, Jackson BP. Influence of relative trophic position and carbon source on selenium bioaccumulation in turtles from a coal fly-ash spill site. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2013; 182:45-52. [PMID: 23896677 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2013.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Revised: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/15/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Selenium (Se) is a bioaccumulative constituent of coal fly-ash that can disrupt reproduction of oviparous wildlife. In food webs, the greatest enrichment of Se occurs at the lowest trophic levels, making it readily bioavailable to higher consumers. However, subsequent enrichment at higher trophic levels is less pronounced, leading to mixed tendencies for Se to biomagnify. We used stable isotopes ((1)(5)N and (13)C) in claws to infer relative trophic positions and relative carbon sources, respectively, of seven turtle species near the site of a recently-remediated coal fly-ash spill. We then tested whether Se concentrations differed with relative trophic position or relative carbon source. We did not observe a strong relationship between δ(15)N and Se concentration. Instead, selenium concentrations decreased with increasing δ(13)C among species. Therefore, in an assemblage of closely-related aquatic vertebrates, relative carbon source was a better predictor of Se bioaccumulation than was relative trophic position.
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Affiliation(s)
- James U Van Dyke
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, 106 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
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Edwards DP, Woodcock P, Newton RJ, Edwards FA, Andrews DJR, Docherty TDS, Mitchell SL, Ota T, Benedick S, Bottrell SH, Hamer KC. Trophic flexibility and the persistence of understory birds in intensively logged rainforest. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2013; 27:1079-1086. [PMID: 23647024 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Effects of logging on species composition in tropical rainforests are well known but may fail to reveal key changes in species interactions. We used nitrogen stable-isotope analysis of 73 species of understory birds to quantify trophic responses to repeated intensive logging of rainforest in northern Borneo and to test 4 hypotheses: logging has significant effects on trophic positions and trophic-niche widths of species, and the persistence of species in degraded forest is related to their trophic positions and trophic-niche widths in primary forest. Species fed from higher up the food chain and had narrower trophic-niche widths in degraded forest. Species with narrow trophic-niche widths in primary forest were less likely to persist after logging, a result that indicates a higher vulnerability of dietary specialists to local extinction following habitat disturbance. Persistence of species in degraded forest was not related to a species' trophic position. These results indicate changes in trophic organization that were not apparent from changes in species composition and highlight the importance of focusing on trophic flexibility over the prevailing emphasis on membership of static feeding guilds. Our results thus support the notion that alterations to trophic organization and interactions within tropical forests may be a pervasive and functionally important hidden effect of forest degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Edwards
- Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom; School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, 4878, Australia.
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50
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Huang T, Sun L, Long N, Wang Y, Huang W. Penguin tissue as a proxy for relative krill abundance in East Antarctica during the Holocene. Sci Rep 2013; 3:2807. [PMID: 24076768 PMCID: PMC3786295 DOI: 10.1038/srep02807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 09/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is a key component of the Southern Ocean food web. It supports a large number of upper trophic-level predators, and is also a major fishery resource. Understanding changes in krill abundance has long been a priority for research and conservation in the Southern Ocean. In this study, we performed stable isotope analyses on ancient Adélie penguin tissues and inferred relative krill abundance during the Holocene epoch from paleodiets of Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), using inverse of δ15N (ratio of 15N/14N) value as a proxy. We find that variations in krill abundance during the Holocene are in accord with episodes of regional climate changes, showing greater krill abundance in cold periods. Moreover, the low δ15N values found in modern Adélie penguins indicate relatively high krill availability, which supports the hypothesis of krill surplus in modern ages due to recent hunt for krill-eating seals and whales by humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Huang
- 1] Institute of Polar Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, China [2]
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