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Guiry E, Kennedy JR, Malcom C, Miller M, Hall O, Buckley M, Szpak P. Archaeological evidence for long-term human impacts on sea turtle foraging behaviour. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240120. [PMID: 39021767 PMCID: PMC11253035 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Early conservation efforts to prevent the loss of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) from the Caribbean Sea jumpstarted marine habitat and biodiversity protection. However, even there, limitations on historical observations of turtle ecology have hampered efforts to contextualize foraging behaviours for conservation management. We integrate isotopic and zooarchaeological evidence from green sea turtles harvested at the Miskito Cays (Nicaragua) to assess foraging behaviour before and after a step change in harvesting intensity. Highly structured isotopic evidence shows greater foraging adaptability in earlier populations. This provides a counterpoint to recent synthesis, suggesting the ecological non-exchangeability of sea turtles, which complicates conservation planning focused on genetic-stock-based repopulation. In contrast, our results suggest future populations would have a capacity for higher degrees of ecological exchangeability than current perspectives allow. This highlights a need to consider the kinds of longer term perspectives, such as those offered by archaeological materials, when planning for future sea turtle recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Guiry
- Department of Anthropology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, OntarioK9L 0G2, Canada
- School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, Mayor’s Walk, LeicesterLE1 7RH, UK
| | - J. Ryan Kennedy
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University Bloomington, 701 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN47405, USA
| | - Corey Malcom
- Florida Keys History Center, 700 Fleming Street, Key West, FL33040, USA
| | - Mariah Miller
- Department of Anthropology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, OntarioK9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Olivia Hall
- Department of Anthropology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, OntarioK9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Michael Buckley
- School of Natural Sciences, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, ManchesterM17 DN, UK
| | - Paul Szpak
- Department of Anthropology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, OntarioK9L 0G2, Canada
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Goodman K, Niella Y, Bliss‐Henaghan T, Harcourt R, Smoothey AF, Peddemors VM. Ontogenetic changes in the tooth morphology of bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas). JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 101:1033-1046. [PMID: 35848707 PMCID: PMC9804735 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Teeth are an integral component of feeding ecology, with a clear link between tooth morphology and diet, as without suitable dentition prey cannot be captured nor broken down for consumption. Bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, undergo an ontogenetic niche shift from freshwater to marine habitats, which raises the question: does tooth morphology change with ontogeny? Tooth shape, surface area and thickness were measured using both morphometrics and elliptic Fourier analysis to determine if morphology varied with position in the jaw and if there was an ontogenetic change concordant with this niche shift. Significant ontogenetic differences in tooth morphology as a function of position in the jaw and shark total length were found, with upper and lower jaws of bull sharks presenting two different tooth morphologies. Tooth shape and thickness fell into two groupings, anterior and posterior, in both the upper and lower jaws. Tooth surface area, however, indicated three groupings, mesial, intermediate and distal, in both the upper and lower jaws. While tooth morphology changed significantly with size, showing an inflection at sharks of 135 cm total length, each morphological aspect retained the same tooth groupings throughout. These ontogenetic differences in tooth morphologies reflect tooth strength, prey handling and heterodonty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Goodman
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Yuri Niella
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | | | - Robert Harcourt
- School of Natural SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Amy F. Smoothey
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries ResearchSydney Institute of Marine ScienceMosmanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Victor M. Peddemors
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries ResearchSydney Institute of Marine ScienceMosmanNew South WalesAustralia
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Turner Tomaszewicz CN, Avens L, Seminoff JA, Limpus CJ, FitzSimmons NN, Guinea ML, Pendoley KL, Whittock PA, Vitenbergs A, Whiting SD, Tucker AD. Age-specific growth and maturity estimates for the flatback sea turtle (Natator depressus) by skeletochronology. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271048. [PMID: 35857751 PMCID: PMC9299290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
To address a major knowledge gap for flatback sea turtles (Natator depressus), a species endemic to Australia and considered ‘Data Deficient’ for IUCN Red List assessment, we present the first-ever skeletochronology-derived age and growth rate estimates for this species. Using a rare collection of bone samples gathered from across northern Australia, we applied skeletochronology and characterized the length-at-age relationship, established baseline growth rates from the hatchling to adult life stages, and produced empirical estimates of age-at- and size-at-sexual-maturation (ASM, SSM). We analyzed humeri from 74 flatback sea turtles ranging in body size from 6.0–96.0 cm curved carapace length (CCL), and recovered from Western Australia (n = 48), Eastern Australia (n = 13), central Australia (n = 8; Northern Territory n = 3, the Gulf of Carpentaria n = 5), and unknown locations (n = 5). We identified the onset of sexual maturity for 29 turtles, based on rapprochement growth patterns in the bones. Estimates for ASM ranged from 12.0 to 23.0 years (mean: 16.3 ± 0.53 SE), SSM ranged from 76.1 to 94.0 cm CCL (mean: 84.9 ± 0.90 SE), and maximum observed reproductive longevity was 31 years for a 45-year old male flatback. Growth was modeled as a smoothing spline fit to the size-at-age relationship and at the mean SSM (84.9 cm CCL) corresponded with a spline-predicted maturity age of 18 years (95% CI: 16 to 24), while mean nesting sizes reported in the literature (86.4 to 94 cm CCL) corresponded to estimated ages of 24+ years. A bootstrapped von Bertalanffy growth model was also applied and showed consistencies with the spline curve, yielding an estimated upper size limit, Linf, at 89.2 ± 0.04 cm (95% CI: 85.5 to 95.9 cm) with the intrinsic growth rate parameter, k, at 0.185 ± 0.0004 (0.16 to 0.22); at the same mean SSM (84.9 cm CCL) the estimated ASM was 16.3 ± 0.05 years (95% CI: 12.8 to 27.7 years). Lastly, four of the samples analyzed were collected from deceased adult females that had previous sizes known from on-going mark/recapture studies at nesting sites in Western Australia. The paired CCL data (measured at nesting and back-calculated) did not significantly differ (p = 0.875). This first skeletochronology study for flatback sea turtles generates valuable empirical estimates for ongoing conservation and management efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calandra N. Turner Tomaszewicz
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- The Ocean Foundation, Washington, D.C., United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Larisa Avens
- NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Beaufort, NC, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey A. Seminoff
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Colin J. Limpus
- Department of Environment and Science, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Scott D. Whiting
- Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Anton D. Tucker
- Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, WA, Australia
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Wildermann NE, Gredzens C, Avens L, Barrios-Garrido HA, Bell I, Blumenthal J, Bolten AB, Braun McNeill J, Casale P, Di Domenico M, Domit C, Epperly SP, Godfrey MH, Godley BJ, González-Carman V, Hamann M, Hart KM, Ishihara T, Mansfield KL, Metz TL, Miller JD, Pilcher NJ, Read MA, Sasso C, Seminoff JA, Seney EE, Willard AS, Tomás J, Vélez-Rubio GM, Ware M, Williams JL, Wyneken J, Fuentes MMPB. Informing research priorities for immature sea turtles through expert elicitation. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2018. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Hatase H, Omuta K. Nest site selection in loggerhead sea turtles that use different foraging areas: do less fecund oceanic foragers nest at safer sites? J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H. Hatase
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute The University of Tokyo Kashiwa Chiba Japan
| | - K. Omuta
- Yakushima Sea Turtle Research Group Yakushima Kagoshima Japan
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