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Bowen KR, Kurle CM. Effects of pre-treatment, historical age, and sample characteristics on the stable isotope analyses of killer whale (Orcinus orca) bone. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2024; 38:e9874. [PMID: 39089821 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Stable isotope analysis of bone provides insight into animal foraging and allows for ecological reconstructions over time, however pre-treatment is required to isolate collagen. Pre-treatments typically consist of demineralization to remove inorganic components and/or lipid extraction to remove fats, but these protocols can differentially affect stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values depending on the chemicals, tissues, and/or species involved. Species-specific methodologies create a standard for comparability across studies and enhance understanding of collagen isolation from modern cetacean bone. METHODS Elemental analyzers coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometers were used to measure the δ13C and δ15N values of powdered killer whale (Orcinus orca) bone that was intact (control) or subjected to one of three experimental conditions: demineralized, lipid-extracted, and both demineralized and lipid-extracted. Additionally, C:N ratios were evaluated as a proxy for collagen purity. Lastly, correlations were examined between control C:N ratios vs. historical age and control C:N ratios vs. sample characteristics. RESULTS No significant differences in the δ15N values were observed for any of the experimental protocols. However, the δ13C values were significantly increased by all three experimental protocols: demineralization, lipid extraction, and both treatments combined. The most influential protocol was both demineralization and lipid extraction. Measures of the C:N ratios were also significantly lowered by demineralization and both treatments combined, indicating the material was closer to pure collagen after the treatments. Collagen purity as indicated via C:N ratio was not correlated with historical age nor sample characteristics. CONCLUSIONS If only the δ15N values from killer whale bone are of interest for analysis, no pre-treatment seems necessary. If the δ13C values are of interest, samples should be both demineralized and lipid-extracted. As historical age and specimen characteristics are not correlated with sample contamination, all samples can be treated equally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly R Bowen
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn M Kurle
- School of Biological Sciences, Department of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Eggebo J, Groß J, Bengtson Nash S. Interpretation of southern hemisphere humpback whale diet via stable isotopes; implications of tissue-specific analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283330. [PMID: 37011067 PMCID: PMC10069779 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Blubber and skin are commonly used tissues in stable isotope analysis for the purpose of investigating cetacean diet. Critical comparison of tissue-specific isotopic signals is, however, lacking resulting in uncertainty surrounding the representativeness and therefore utility of different tissues for accurate determination of recent foraging. This study used remotely biopsied blubber and skin tissues from southern hemisphere humpback whales for strategic comparison of δ13C and δ15N values. Samples were collected between 2008-2018 as part of long-term monitoring under the Humpback Whale Sentinel Program. Blubber tissues were lipid-extracted prior to analysis, whilst mathematical lipid-correction was performed on skin samples. Isotopic values from paired blubber and skin samples from the same individuals were compared to assess whether tissues could be used interchangeably for isotope analysis and dietary interpretation. Significant differences were observed for both δ13C and δ15N, flagging previously undocumented methodological considerations, and the need for method validation and standardisation in application of these approaches. This study therefore advances methodological aspects of cetacean dietary analysis. This is of elevated importance in the context of rapidly changing ocean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- June Eggebo
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Jasmin Groß
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
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Wilson T, Szpak P. Acidification does not alter the stable isotope composition of bone collagen. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13593. [PMID: 35722259 PMCID: PMC9205305 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13593] [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: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we compared the elemental and isotopic composition of modern and ancient bone samples pre-treated using different demineralization agents with acidic and neutral pH. The purpose of our research was to examine if demineralization using a mineral acid such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) significantly alters the δ 15N and δ 13C values of bone collagen. Evidence from the elemental and amino acid composition of the samples were incorporated alongside isotopic compositions to provide a holistic view of the effect of demineralization agents on the composition of bone collagen. The stable isotope compositions of collagen extracts were also compared against equivalent whole bone samples to assess whether whole bone has a stable isotope composition that is comparable to collagen demineralized with a neutral agent. Our results demonstrate that bone demineralization using either ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or HCl yields collagen extracts with stable isotope compositions that are not significantly different, indicating that mineral acid does not alter δ 15N and δ 13C values of bone collagen. The results comparing whole bone and extracted collagen stable isotope compositions indicate that whole bone cannot be used as an effective replacement for bone collagen due to the significantly different stable isotope compositions between these sample materials. In ecological and archaeological studies performing stable isotope analysis on bone, sample pre-treatment to isolate collagen is a necessity to obtain the most reliable and reproducible isotopic measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tess Wilson
- Department of Anthropology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada,Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul Szpak
- Department of Anthropology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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Feeding ecology of the long finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas edwardii, in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, determined by stable isotopes analysis. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02908-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Wysokowski M, Zaslansky P, Ehrlich H. Macrobiomineralogy: Insights and Enigmas in Giant Whale Bones and Perspectives for Bioinspired Materials Science. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2020; 6:5357-5367. [PMID: 33320547 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c00364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The giant bones of whales (Cetacea) are the largest extant biomineral-based constructs known. The fact that such mammalian bones can grow up to 7 m long raises questions about differences and similarities to other smaller bones. Size and exposure to environmental stress are good reasons to suppose that an unexplored level of hierarchical organization may be present that is not needed in smaller bones. The existence of such a macroscopic naturally grown structure with poorly described mechanisms for biomineralization is an example of the many yet unexplored phenomena in living organisms. In this article, we describe key observations in macrobiomineralization and suggest that the large scale of biomineralization taking place in selected whale bones implies they may teach us fundamental principles of the chemistry, biology, and biomaterials science governing bone formation, from atomistic to the macrolevel. They are also associated with a very lipid rich environment on those bones. This has implications for bone development and damage sensing that has not yet been fully addressed. We propose that whale bone construction poses extreme requirements for inorganic material storage, mediated by biomacromolecules. Unlike extinct large mammals, cetaceans still live deep in large terrestrial water bodies following eons of adaptation. The nanocomposites from which the bones are made, comprising biomacromolecules and apatite nanocrystals, must therefore be well adapted to create the macroporous hierarchically structured architectures of the bones, with mechanical properties that match the loads imposed in vivo. This massive skeleton directly contributes to the survival of these largest mammals in the aquatic environments of Earth, with structural refinements being the result of 60 million years of evolution. We also believe that the concepts presented in this article highlight the beneficial uses of multidisciplinary and multiscale approaches to study the structural peculiarities of both organic and inorganic phases as well as mechanisms of biomineralization in highly specialized and evolutionarily conserved hard tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Wysokowski
- Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, Poznan 60965, Poland.,Institute of Electronics and Sensor Materials, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Gustav-Zeuner Strasse 3, Freiberg 09599, Germany
| | - Paul Zaslansky
- Department for Restorative and Preventive Dentistry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Hermann Ehrlich
- Institute of Electronics and Sensor Materials, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Gustav-Zeuner Strasse 3, Freiberg 09599, Germany
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Studying animal niches using bulk stable isotope ratios: an updated synthesis. Oecologia 2020; 193:27-51. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04654-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Potential Use of Stable Isotope and Multi-element Analyses for Regional Geographical Traceability of Bone Raw Materials for Gelatin Production. FOOD ANAL METHOD 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12161-019-01687-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Javornik J, Hopkins JB, Zavadlav S, Levanič T, Lojen S, Polak T, Jerina K. Effects of ethanol storage and lipids on stable isotope values in a large mammalian omnivore. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jernej Javornik
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - John B Hopkins
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- School of Biodiversity Conservation, Unity College, Unity, ME, USA
| | - Saša Zavadlav
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Yield and Silviculture, Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tom Levanič
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Yield and Silviculture, Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sonja Lojen
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Lanthieri mansion, Glavni,Vipava, Slovenia
| | - Tomaž Polak
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Klemen Jerina
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Nelson MA, Quakenbush LT, Mahoney BA, Taras BD, Wooller MJ. Fifty years of Cook Inlet beluga whale feeding ecology from isotopes in bone and teeth. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Carrasco TS, Botta S, Machado R, Colares EP, Secchi ER. Effects of acidification on the isotopic ratios of Neotropical otter tooth dentin. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:784-788. [PMID: 29488256 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios are widely used in ecological studies providing important information on the trophic ecology and habitat use of consumers. However, some factors may lead to isotopic variability, which makes difficult the interpretation of data, such as the presence of inorganic carbon in mineralized tissues. In order to remove the inorganic carbon, acidification is a commonly used treatment. METHODS The effects of two methods of acidification were tested: (i) dentin acidification with 10% HCl using the 'drop-by-drop' technique, and (ii) dentin acidification in an 'HCl atmosphere', by exposing the dentin to vaporous 30% hydrochloric acid. Results were compared with untreated subsamples. The stable carbon and nitrogen ratios of untreated and acidified subsamples were measured using an elemental analyzer coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. RESULTS The nitrogen isotopic ratios were statistically different between the two acidification treatments, but no significant changes in carbon isotopic ratios were found in acidified and untreated samples. CONCLUSIONS The results indicated that acidification had no effect on carbon isotopic ratios of Neotropical otter tooth dentin, while introducing a source of error in nitrogen isotopic ratios. Therefore, we conclude that acidification is an unnecessary step for C and N stable isotope analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thayara S Carrasco
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Silvina Botta
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha - ECOMEGA, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Machado
- Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul (GEMARS), 95560-000, Torres, RS, Brazil
| | - Elton P Colares
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Eduardo R Secchi
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha - ECOMEGA, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96203-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
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Bas M, Cardona L. Effects of skeletal element identity, delipidation and demineralization on the analysis of stable isotope ratios of C and N in fish bone. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2018; 92:420-437. [PMID: 29235096 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Stable isotope ratios of C and N in the bone tissue of three different skeletal elements (angular, cleithrum and vertebra) of three fish species from different evolutionary lineages (Clupeiformes, Atheriniformes and Notothenioidei) were determined before (δ13 Cbulk and δ15 Nbulk ) and after demineralization and delipidation (δ13 Cdml and δ15 Ndml ). One of the species had cellular bone and the other two had acellular bone. Results revealed that δ15 N and δ13 C values from different skeletal elements were interchangeable in species with acellular bone, but caution was needed in species with cellular bone, as δ15 N values varied among skeletal elements. Furthermore, δ15 Nbulk values were significantly lower than δ15 Ndml values in the three species, thus suggesting that they are not comparable. This difference is probably because δ15 Nbulk refers to total bone protein and δ15 Ndml to collagen only.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bas
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC-CONICET), C/Bernardo Houssay 200, 9410, Ushuaia, Argentina
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - L Cardona
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Science, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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