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Lüdecke T, Leichliter JN, Aldeias V, Bamford MK, Biro D, Braun DR, Capelli C, Cybulski JD, Duprey NN, Ferreira da Silva MJ, Foreman AD, Habermann JM, Haug GH, Martínez FI, Mathe J, Mulch A, Sigman DM, Vonhof H, Bobe R, Carvalho S, Martínez-García A. Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen stable isotopes in modern tooth enamel: A case study from Gorongosa National Park, central Mozambique. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.958032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The analyses of the stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), and oxygen (δ18O) in animal tissues are powerful tools for reconstructing the feeding behavior of individual animals and characterizing trophic interactions in food webs. Of these biomaterials, tooth enamel is the hardest, most mineralized vertebrate tissue and therefore least likely to be affected by chemical alteration (i.e., its isotopic composition can be preserved over millions of years), making it an important and widely available archive for biologists and paleontologists. Here, we present the first combined measurements of δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O in enamel from the teeth of modern fauna (herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores) from the well-studied ecosystem of Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in central Mozambique. We use two novel methods to produce high-precision stable isotope enamel data: (i) the “oxidation-denitrification method,” which permits the measurement of mineral-bound organic nitrogen in tooth enamel (δ15Nenamel), which until now, has not been possible due to enamel’s low organic content, and (ii) the “cold trap method,” which greatly reduces the sample size required for traditional measurements of inorganic δ13Cenamel and δ18Oenamel (from ≥0.5 to ≤0.1 mg), permitting analysis of small or valuable teeth and high-resolution serial sampling of enamel. The stable isotope results for GNP fauna reveal important ecological information about the trophic level, dietary niche, and resource consumption. δ15Nenamel values clearly differentiate trophic level (i.e., carnivore δ15Nenamel values are 4.0‰ higher, on average, than herbivores), δ13Cenamel values distinguish C3 and/or C4 biomass consumption, and δ18Oenamel values reflect local meteoric water (δ18Owater) in the park. Analysis of combined carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen stable isotope data permits geochemical separation of grazers, browsers, omnivores, and carnivores according to their isotopic niche, while mixed-feeding herbivores cannot be clearly distinguished from other dietary groups. These results confirm that combined C, N, and O isotope analyses of a single aliquot of tooth enamel can be used to reconstruct diet and trophic niches. Given its resistance to chemical alteration, the analysis of these three isotopes in tooth enamel has a high potential to open new avenues of research in (paleo)ecology and paleontology.
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Roberts P, Douka K, Tromp M, Bedford S, Hawkins S, Bouffandeau L, Ilgner J, Lucas M, Marzo S, Hamilton R, Ambrose W, Bulbeck D, Luu S, Shing R, Gosden C, Summerhayes G, Spriggs M. Fossils, fish and tropical forests: prehistoric human adaptations on the island frontiers of Oceania. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200495. [PMID: 35249390 PMCID: PMC8899615 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0495] [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] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Oceania is a key region for studying human dispersals, adaptations and interactions with other hominin populations. Although archaeological evidence now reveals occupation of the region by approximately 65–45 000 years ago, its human fossil record, which has the best potential to provide direct insights into ecological adaptations and population relationships, has remained much more elusive. Here, we apply radiocarbon dating and stable isotope approaches to the earliest human remains so far excavated on the islands of Near and Remote Oceania to explore the chronology and diets of the first preserved human individuals to step across these Pacific frontiers. We demonstrate that the oldest human (or indeed hominin) fossil outside of the mainland New Guinea-Aru area dates to approximately 11 800 years ago. Furthermore, although these early sea-faring populations have been associated with a specialized coastal adaptation, we show that Late Pleistocene–Holocene humans living on islands in the Bismarck Archipelago and in Vanuatu display a persistent reliance on interior tropical forest resources. We argue that local tropical habitats, rather than purely coasts or, later, arriving domesticates, should be emphasized in discussions of human diets and cultural practices from the onset of our species' arrival in this part of the world. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany.,School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Katerina Douka
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Monica Tromp
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany.,Southern Pacific Archaeological Research, Archaeology Programme, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Stuart Bedford
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany.,College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Stuart Hawkins
- College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Laurie Bouffandeau
- UMR 7209 AASPE, CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.,CIRAP, Université de la Polynésie française, Tahiti, French Polynesia
| | - Jana Ilgner
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany
| | - Mary Lucas
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany
| | - Sara Marzo
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany
| | - Rebecca Hamilton
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany.,College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Wallace Ambrose
- College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - David Bulbeck
- College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Sindy Luu
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Archaeology Programme, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Chris Gosden
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Glenn Summerhayes
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,Archaeology Programme, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Matthew Spriggs
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Vanuatu Cultural Centre, Port Vila, Vanuatu
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DeSantis LRG, Pardi MI, Du A, Greshko MA, Yann LT, Hulbert RC, Louys J. Global long-term stability of individual dietary specialization in herbivorous mammals. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20211839. [PMID: 35135353 PMCID: PMC8826132 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary variation within species has important ecological and evolutionary implications. While theoreticians have debated the consequences of trait variance (including dietary specialization), empirical studies have yet to examine intraspecific dietary variability across the globe and through time. Here, we use new and published serial sampled δ13Cenamel values of herbivorous mammals from the Miocene to the present (318 individuals summarized, 4134 samples) to examine how dietary strategy (i.e. browser, mixed-feeder, grazer) affects individual isotopic variation. We find that almost all herbivores, regardless of dietary strategy, are composed of individual specialists. For example, Cormohipparion emsliei (Equidae) from the Pliocene of Florida (approx. 5 Ma) exhibits a δ13Cenamel range of 13.4‰, but all individuals sampled have δ13Cenamel ranges of less than or equal to 2‰ (mean = 1.1‰). Most notably, this pattern holds globally and through time, with almost all herbivorous mammal individuals exhibiting narrow δ13Cenamel ranges (less than or equal to 3‰), demonstrating that individuals are specialized and less representative of their overall species' dietary breadth. Individual specialization probably reduces intraspecific competition, increases carrying capacities, and may have stabilizing effects on species and communities over time. Individual specialization among species with both narrow and broad dietary niches is common over space and time-a phenomenon not previously well recognized or documented empirically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa R G DeSantis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 1210 BSB/MRBIII 465 21st Avenue S., Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 7th floor, Science and Engineering Building, 5726 Stevenson Center, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Melissa I Pardi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 7th floor, Science and Engineering Building, 5726 Stevenson Center, Nashville, TN 37240, USA.,Research and Collections Center, Illinois State Museum, 1011 E. Ash St., Springfield, IL 62703, USA
| | - Andrew Du
- Research and Collections Center, Illinois State Museum, 1011 E. Ash St., Springfield, IL 62703, USA
| | - Michael A Greshko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 1210 BSB/MRBIII 465 21st Avenue S., Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Lindsey T Yann
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 7th floor, Science and Engineering Building, 5726 Stevenson Center, Nashville, TN 37240, USA.,Waco Mammoth National Monument, 6220 Steinbeck Bend Drive, Waco, TX 76708, USA
| | - Richard C Hulbert
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Julien Louys
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
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Nutritional influences on enzyme activities in saliva of Asian and African elephants. J Comp Physiol B 2021; 191:955-970. [PMID: 34235559 PMCID: PMC8380575 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-021-01378-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Asian and African elephants show morphological adaptations to their ecological niche including the oral cavity. Variety and preferences of forage plants differ between both herbivorous elephant species. Diet can affect salivary enzymes. Asian elephants were shown to have a higher salivary amylase activity than African elephants. Species-specific differences were presumed to be influenced by feeding during collection procedure. This study aimed to determine the influence of feeding on enzyme activities in saliva of both elephant species to differentiate from species-specific effects. Additionally, season and housing conditions on salivary enzyme activities in non-fed elephants of both species were investigated. Salivary amylase (sAA), lysozyme (sLYS) and peroxidase (sPOD) activity were measured photometrically or fluorometrically. Results of this study reinforce previous observations of higher basic sAA activity in Asian elephants compared to African elephants. Salivary LYS and sPOD activity showed neither species-specific nor housing-specific differences. Independent from season, most elephants of both species revealed a lack of or low sPOD activity. Feeding caused a temporary decrease of sAA, sLYS and sPOD activity in both elephant species kept in four of eight tested zoos. Furthermore, sAA activity in Asian elephants was higher and sLYS activity lower in Spring than in Autumn. This study summarizes that sAA and sLYS are components of Asian and African elephant saliva in an active conformation in contrast to sPOD. Diet varying between season and zoos might influence sAA and sLYS activities primarily in Asian elephants but temporary low effects suggest sufficient buffer capacity of elephant saliva of both species.
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Ward D, Schmitt MH, Shrader AM. Are there phylogenetic differences in salivary tannin-binding proteins between browsers and grazers, and ruminants and hindgut fermenters? Ecol Evol 2020; 10:10426-10439. [PMID: 33072270 PMCID: PMC7548203 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
While feeding, mammalian browsers (primarily eat woody plants) encounter secondary metabolites such as tannins. Browsers may bind these tannins using salivary proteins, whereas mammalian grazers (primarily eat grasses that generally lack tannins) likely would not. Ruminant browsers rechew their food (ruminate) to increase the effectiveness of digestion, which may make them more effective at binding tannins than nonruminants. Few studies have included a sufficient number of species to consider possible scaling with body mass or phylogenetic effects on salivary proteins. Controlling for phylogeny, we ran inhibition radial diffusion assays of the saliva of 28 species of African herbivores that varied in size, feeding strategy, and digestive system. We could not detect the presence of salivary proline-rich proteins that bind tannins in any of these species. However, using the inhibition radial diffusion assay, we found considerable abilities to cope with tannins in all species, albeit to varying degrees. We found no differences between browsers and grazers in the effectiveness of their salivary proteins to bind to and precipitate tannins, nor between ruminants and nonruminants, or scaling with body mass. Three species bound all tannins, but their feeding niches included one browser (gray duiker), one mixed feeder (bush pig), and one grazer (red hartebeest). Five closely related species of small ruminant browsers were very effective in binding tannins. Megaherbivores, considered generalists on account of their large body size, were capable of binding tannins. However, the grazing white rhinoceros was almost as effective at binding tannins as the megaherbivore browsers. We conclude, contrary to earlier predictions, that there were no differences in the relative salivary tannin-binding capability that was related to common ancestry (phylogeny) or to differences in body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Ward
- Department of Biological SciencesKent State UniversityKentOHUSA
| | - Melissa H. Schmitt
- South African Environmental Observation NetworkNdlovu NodePhalaborwaSouth Africa
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine BiologyUniversity of California Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCAUSA
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalScottsvilleSouth Africa
| | - Adrian M. Shrader
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalScottsvilleSouth Africa
- Mammal Research InstituteDepartment of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
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Miller H, Chenery C, Lamb AL, Sloane H, Carden RF, Atici L, Sykes N. The relationship between the phosphate and structural carbonate fractionation of fallow deer bioapatite in tooth enamel. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2019; 33:151-164. [PMID: 30378197 PMCID: PMC6859465 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The species-specific relationship between phosphate (δ18 OP values) and structural carbonate (δ18 OC values) oxygen isotope ratios has been established for several modern and fossil animal species but until now it has not been investigated in European fallow deer (Dama dama dama). This study describes the relationship between phosphate and structural carbonate bioapatite in tooth enamel of extant fallow deer, which will help us further understand the species' unique environmental and cultural history. METHODS The oxygen isotope composition of phosphate (δ18 OP value) and structural carbonate (δ18 OC value) of hydroxylapatite was determined in 51 modern fallow deer tooth enamel samples from across Europe and West Asia. The δ18 OC values were measured on a GV IsoPrime dual-inlet mass spectrometer and the δ18 OP values on a temperature-controlled elemental analyser (TC/EA) coupled to a DeltaPlus XL isotope ratio mass spectrometer via a ConFlo III interface. RESULTS This study establishes a direct and linear relationship between the δ18 OC and δ18 OP values from fallow deer tooth enamel (δ18 OC = +9.244(±0.216) + 0.958 * δ18 OP (±0.013)). Despite the successful regression, the variation in δ18 O values from samples collected in the same geographical area is greater than expected, although the results cluster in broad climatic groupings when Koppen-Geiger classifications are taken into account for the individuals' locations. CONCLUSIONS This is the first comprehensive study of the relationship between ionic forms of oxygen (phosphate oxygen and structural carbonate) in fallow deer dental enamel. The new equation will allow direct comparison with other herbivore data. Variable δ18 O values within populations of fallow deer broadly reflect the ecological zones they are found in which may explain this pattern of results in other euryphagic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Miller
- Department of ArchaeologyUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamNG7 2RDUK
| | - Carolyn Chenery
- NERC Isotope Geosciences Facility, Kingsley Dunham Centre, British Geological SurveyKeyworth, NottinghamNG12 5GGUK
| | - Angela L. Lamb
- NERC Isotope Geosciences Facility, Kingsley Dunham Centre, British Geological SurveyKeyworth, NottinghamNG12 5GGUK
| | - Hilary Sloane
- NERC Isotope Geosciences Facility, Kingsley Dunham Centre, British Geological SurveyKeyworth, NottinghamNG12 5GGUK
| | - Ruth F. Carden
- Adjunct Research Fellow, School of ArchaeologyUniversity College DublinBelfieldDublin 4Ireland
| | - Levent Atici
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of NevadaLas Vegas, Box 455003 4505 S. Maryland ParkwayLas VegasNV89154‐5003USA
| | - Naomi Sykes
- Department of ArchaeologyUniversity of ExeterLaver Building Streatham CampusExeterEX4 4QUK
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Tsalyuk M, Kilian W, Reineking B, Getz WM. Temporal variation in resource selection of African elephants follows long‐term variability in resource availability. ECOL MONOGR 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Tsalyuk
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy & Management University of California Berkeley 130 Mulford Hall #3114 Berkeley California 94720‐3114 USA
| | - Werner Kilian
- Etosha Ecological Institute PO Box 6 Okaukuejo via Outjo Namibia
| | - Björn Reineking
- Universite Grenoble Alpes, Irstea, UR LESSEM, BP 76 38402 St‐Martin‐d'Hères France
- Biogeographical Modelling Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research BayCEER University of Bayreuth Universitätstraße 30 95447 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Wayne Marcus Getz
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy & Management University of California Berkeley 130 Mulford Hall #3114 Berkeley California 94720‐3114 USA
- School of Mathematical Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Private Bag X54001 Durban 4000 South Africa
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Multiproxy evidence for leaf-browsing and closed habitats in extinct proboscideans (Mammalia, Proboscidea) from Central Chile. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:9258-9263. [PMID: 30150377 PMCID: PMC6140480 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1804642115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The multiproxy approach represents a novel methodology and a unique opportunity to obtain a more detailed view of ancient resource use. Our multiproxy study, carried out on gomphotheres from Chile, widens potential occupied habitats to closed-canopy forests. This habitat variability supports the hypothesis that the diet of gomphotheres appears to be more constrained by resource availability than by the potential dietary range. We strongly recommend the use of a multiproxy approach, where morphology analyses are complemented by other sources of information. This approach prevents misleading conclusions about the origin of the proxy’s signal from arising, such as a leaf-browsing diet inferred from the dental calculus and microwear not necessarily being indicative of humidity. Proboscideans are so-called ecosystem engineers and are considered key players in hypotheses about Late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions. However, knowledge about the autoecology and chronology of the proboscideans in South America is still open to debate and raises controversial views. Here, we used a range of multiproxy approaches and new radiocarbon datings to study the autoecology of Chilean gomphotheres, the only group of proboscideans to reach South America during the Great American Biotic Interchange (∼3.1 to 2.7 million years before present). As part of this study, we analyzed stable isotopes, dental microwear, and dental calculus microfossils on gomphothere molars from 30 Late Pleistocene sites (31° to 42°S). These proxies provided different scales of temporal resolution, which were then combined to assess the dietary and habitat patterns of these proboscideans. The multiproxy study suggests that most foraging took place in relatively closed environments. In Central Chile, there is a positive correlation between lower δ13C values and an increasing consumption of arboreal/scrub elements. Analyses of dental microwear and calculus microfossils have verified these leaf-browsing feeding habits. From a comparative perspective, the dietary pattern of South American gomphotheres appears to be constrained more by resource availability than by the potential dietary range of the individual taxa. This multiproxy study is aimed at increasing knowledge of the life history of gomphotheres and thus follows an issue considered one of the greatest challenges for paleontology in South America, recently pointed out by the need to thoroughly understand the role of ecological engineers before making predictions about the consequences of ecosystem defaunation.
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Voigt CC, Krofel M, Menges V, Wachter B, Melzheimer J. Sex‐specific dietary specialization in a terrestrial apex predator, the leopard, revealed by stable isotope analysis. J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. C. Voigt
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Department of Animal Behavior Institute of Biology Berlin Germany
| | - M. Krofel
- Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources Biotechnical Faculty University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - V. Menges
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - B. Wachter
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - J. Melzheimer
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
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Codron D, Clauss M, Codron J, Tütken T. Within trophic level shifts in collagen-carbonate stable carbon isotope spacing are propagated by diet and digestive physiology in large mammal herbivores. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3983-3995. [PMID: 29721273 PMCID: PMC5916294 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Stable carbon isotope analyses of vertebrate hard tissues such as bones, teeth, and tusks provide information about animal diets in ecological, archeological, and paleontological contexts. There is debate about how carbon isotope compositions of collagen and apatite carbonate differ in terms of their relationship to diet, and to each other. We evaluated relationships between δ13Ccollagen and δ13Ccarbonate among free‐ranging southern African mammals to test predictions about the influences of dietary and physiological differences between species. Whereas the slopes of δ13Ccollagen–δ13Ccarbonate relationships among carnivores are ≤1, herbivore δ13Ccollagen increases with increasing dietary δ13C at a slower rate than does δ13Ccarbonate, resulting in regression slopes >1. This outcome is consistent with predictions that herbivore δ13Ccollagen is biased against low protein diet components (13C‐enriched C4 grasses in these environments), and δ13Ccarbonate is 13C‐enriched due to release of 13C‐depleted methane as a by‐product of microbial fermentation in the digestive tract. As methane emission is constrained by plant secondary metabolites in browse, the latter effect becomes more pronounced with higher levels of C4 grass in the diet. Increases in δ13Ccarbonate are also larger in ruminants than nonruminants. Accordingly, we show that Δ13Ccollagen‐carbonate spacing is not constant within herbivores, but increases by up to 5 ‰ across species with different diets and physiologies. Such large variation, often assumed to be negligible within trophic levels, clearly cannot be ignored in carbon isotope‐based diet reconstructions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daryl Codron
- Institut für Geowissenschaften AG für Angewandte und Analytische Paläontologie Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz Mainz Germany.,Florisbad Quaternary Research Department National Museum Bloemfontein South Africa.,Centre for Environmental Management University of the Free State Bloemfontein South Africa
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife Vetsuisse Faculty University of Zürich Zürich Switzerland
| | - Jacqueline Codron
- Florisbad Quaternary Research Department National Museum Bloemfontein South Africa.,Mammalogy Department National Museum Bloemfontein South Africa
| | - Thomas Tütken
- Institut für Geowissenschaften AG für Angewandte und Analytische Paläontologie Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz Mainz Germany
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von Holstein I, von Tersch M, Coutu AN, Penkman KEH, Makarewicz CA, Collins MJ. Collagen proteins exchange O with demineralisation and gelatinisation reagents and also with atmospheric moisture. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:523-534. [PMID: 29360219 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The oxygen isotope composition of collagen proteins is a potential indicator of adult residential location, useful for provenancing in ecology, archaeology and forensics. In acidic solution, proteins can exchange O from carboxylic acid moieties with reagent O. This study investigated whether this exchange occurs during demineralisation and gelatinisation preparation of bone/ivory collagen. METHODS EDTA and HCl demineralisation or gelatinisation reagents were made up in waters with different δ18 O values, and were used to extract collagen from four skeletal tissue samples. Aliquots of extracted collagen were exposed to two different atmospheric waters, at 120°C and ambient temperature, and subsequently dried in a vacuum oven at 40°C or by freeze drying. Sample δ18 O values were measured by HT/EA pyrolysis-IRMS using a zero-blank autosampler. RESULTS Collagen samples exchanged O with both reagent waters and atmospheric water, which altered sample δ18 O values. Exchange with reagent waters occurred in all extraction methods, but was greater at lower pH. Damage to the collagen samples during extraction increased O exchange. The nature of exchange of O with atmospheric water depended on the temperature of exposure: kinetic fractionation of O was identified at 120°C but not at ambient temperature. Exchange was difficult to quantify due to high variability of δ18 O value between experimental replicates. CONCLUSION Studies of δ18 O values in collagen proteins should avoid extraction methods using acid solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella von Holstein
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Environment Building. Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
- Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6, D-24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthew von Tersch
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Environment Building. Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Ashley N Coutu
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Environment Building. Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Kirsty E H Penkman
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Environment Building. Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
- BioArCh, Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Cheryl A Makarewicz
- Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6, D-24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthew J Collins
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, Environment Building. Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Sølvgade 83, Copenhagen, 1307, Denmark
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Roberts P, Perera N, Wedage O, Deraniyagala S, Perera J, Eregama S, Petraglia MD, Lee-Thorp JA. Fruits of the forest: Human stable isotope ecology and rainforest adaptations in Late Pleistocene and Holocene (∼36 to 3 ka) Sri Lanka. J Hum Evol 2017; 106:102-118. [PMID: 28434535 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Sri Lanka has yielded some of the earliest dated fossil evidence for Homo sapiens (∼38-35,000 cal. years BP [calibrated years before present]) in South Asia, within a region that is today covered by tropical rainforest. Archaeozoological and archaeobotanical evidence indicates that these hunter-gatherers exploited tropical forest resources, yet the contribution of these resources to their overall subsistence strategies has, as in other Late Pleistocene rainforest settings, remained relatively unexplored. We build on previous work in this tropical region by applying both bulk and sequential stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis to human and faunal tooth enamel from the sites of Batadomba-lena, Fa Hien-lena, and Balangoda Kuragala. Tooth enamel preservation was assessed by means of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. We use these data to produce a detailed stable isotope ecology for Late Pleistocene-Holocene foragers in Sri Lanka from ∼36-29,000 to 3000 cal. years BP, allowing us to test the degree of human tropical forest resource reliance over a considerable time period. Given that non-human primates dominate the mammalian assemblages at these sites, we also focus on the stable isotope composition of three monkey species in order to study their ecological preferences and, indirectly, human hunting strategies. The results confirm a strong human reliance on tropical forest resources from ∼36-29,000 cal. years BP until the Iron Age ∼3 cal. years BP, while sequential tooth data show that forest resources were exploited year-round. This strategy was maintained through periods of evident environmental change at the Last Glacial Maximum and upon the arrival of agriculture. Long-term tropical forest reliance was supported by the specialised capture of non-human primates, although the isotopic data revealed no evidence for niche distinction between the hunted species. We conclude that humans rapidly developed a specialisation in the exploitation of South Asia's tropical forests following their arrival in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Roberts
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany; School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK.
| | - Nimal Perera
- Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, 407 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 00700, Sri Lanka
| | - Oshan Wedage
- Department of History and Archaeology, University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Sri Soratha Mawatha, Nugegoda 10250, Sri Lanka; Department of Archaeology, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Siran Deraniyagala
- Department of Archaeology, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Jude Perera
- Department of Archaeology, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Saman Eregama
- Department of Archaeology, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Michael D Petraglia
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Julia A Lee-Thorp
- School of Archaeology, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
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14
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Coutu AN, Lee-Thorp J, Collins MJ, Lane PJ. Mapping the Elephants of the 19th Century East African Ivory Trade with a Multi-Isotope Approach. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163606. [PMID: 27760152 PMCID: PMC5070863 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
East African elephants have been hunted for their ivory for millennia but the nineteenth century witnessed strongly escalating demand from Europe and North America. It has been suggested that one consequence was that by the 1880s elephant herds along the coast had become scarce, and to meet demand, trade caravans trekked farther into interior regions of East Africa, extending the extraction frontier. The steady decimation of elephant populations coupled with the extension of trade networks have also been claimed to have triggered significant ecological and socio-economic changes that left lasting legacies across the region. To explore the feasibility of using an isotopic approach to uncover a ‘moving frontier’ of elephant extraction, we constructed a baseline isotope data set (δ13C, δ15N, δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr) for historic East African elephants known to have come from three distinct regions (coastal, Rift Valley, and inland Lakes). Using the isotope results with other climate data and geographical mapping tools, it was possible to characterise elephants from different habitats across the region. This baseline data set was then used to provenance elephant ivory of unknown geographical provenance that was exported from East Africa during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to determine its likely origin. This produced a better understanding of historic elephant geography in the region, and the data have the potential to be used to provenance older archaeological ivories, and to inform contemporary elephant conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N. Coutu
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Julia Lee-Thorp
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J. Collins
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Paul J. Lane
- Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- School of Geography, Archaeology & Environmental Science, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
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15
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Boehlke C, Pötschke S, Behringer V, Hannig C, Zierau O. Does diet influence salivary enzyme activities in elephant species? J Comp Physiol B 2016; 187:213-226. [PMID: 27580888 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-016-1028-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are herbivore generalists; however, Asian elephants might ingest a higher proportion of grasses than Africans. Although some studies have investigated nutrition-specific morphological adaptations of the two species, broader studies on salivary enzymes in both elephant species are lacking. This study focuses on the comparison of salivary enzymes activity profiles in the two elephant species; these enzymes are relevant for protective and digestive functions in humans. We aimed to determine whether salivary amylase (sAA), lysozyme (sLYS), and peroxidase (sPOD) activities have changed in a species-specific pattern during evolutionary separation of the elephant genera. Saliva samples of 14 Asian and eight African elephants were collected in three German zoos. Results show that sAA and sLYS are salivary components of both elephant species in an active conformation. In contrast, little to no sPOD activity was determined in any elephant sample. Furthermore, sAA activity was significantly higher in Asian compared with African elephants. sLYS and sPOD showed no species-specific differences. The time of food provision until sample collection affected only sAA activity. In summary, the results suggest several possible factors modulating the activity of the mammal-typical enzymes, such as sAA, sLYS, and sPOD, e.g., nutrition and sampling procedure, which have to be considered when analyzing differences in saliva composition of animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Boehlke
- Policlinic of Operative and Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine 'Carl Gustav Carus', TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.,Institute of Zoology, Molecular Cell Physiology and Endocrinology, TU Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sandra Pötschke
- Policlinic of Operative and Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine 'Carl Gustav Carus', TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Verena Behringer
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian Hannig
- Policlinic of Operative and Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine 'Carl Gustav Carus', TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Oliver Zierau
- Institute of Zoology, Molecular Cell Physiology and Endocrinology, TU Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, 01062, Dresden, Germany
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16
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Pagani‐Núñez E, Barnett CA, Gu H, Goodale E. The need for new categorizations of dietary specialism incorporating spatio‐temporal variability of individual diet specialization. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Pagani‐Núñez
- Behavioral and Community Ecology Conservation Biology Group College of Forestry Guangxi University Nanning Guangxi China
| | - C. A. Barnett
- Behavioral and Community Ecology Conservation Biology Group College of Forestry Guangxi University Nanning Guangxi China
| | - H. Gu
- Behavioral and Community Ecology Conservation Biology Group College of Forestry Guangxi University Nanning Guangxi China
| | - E. Goodale
- Behavioral and Community Ecology Conservation Biology Group College of Forestry Guangxi University Nanning Guangxi China
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17
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Bergen E, Barlow HS, Brattström O, Griffiths H, Kodandaramaiah U, Osborne CP, Brakefield PM. The stable isotope ecology of mycalesine butterflies: implications for plant–insect co‐evolution. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Bergen
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Henry S. Barlow
- Genting Tea Estate P.O. Box 10139 50704 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
| | - Oskar Brattström
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Howard Griffiths
- Department of Plant Sciences University of Cambridge Cambridge CB2 3EA UK
| | - Ullasa Kodandaramaiah
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
- School of Biology Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram CET Campus Trivandrum 695016 India
| | - Colin P. Osborne
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN UK
| | - Paul M. Brakefield
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
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18
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Davis M, Pineda Munoz S. The temporal scale of diet and dietary proxies. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:1883-97. [PMID: 27087936 PMCID: PMC4801961 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Diets estimated from different proxies such as stable isotopes, stomach contents, and dental microwear often disagree, leading to nominally well-supported but greatly differing estimates of diet for both extinct and extant species that complicate our understanding of ecology. We show that these perceived incongruences can be caused by proxies recording diet over vastly different timescales. Field observations reveal a diet averaged over minutes or hours, whereas dental morphology may reflect the diet of a lineage over millions of years of evolution. Failing to explicitly consider the scale of proxies and the potentially large temporal variability in diet can cause erroneous predictions in any downstream analyses such as conservation planning or paleohabitat reconstructions. We propose a cross-scale framework for conceptualizing diet suitable for both modern ecologists and paleontologists and provide recommendations for any studies involving dietary data. Treating diet in this temporally explicit framework and matching the scale of our questions with the scale of our data will lead to a much richer and clearer understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Davis
- Department of Geology and Geophysics Yale University New Haven Connecticut 06520; Department of Paleobiology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia 20004
| | - Silvia Pineda Munoz
- Department of Paleobiology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia 20004
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19
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Codron D, Codron J, Sponheimer M, Clauss M. Within-Population Isotopic Niche Variability in Savanna Mammals: Disparity between Carnivores and Herbivores. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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20
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Ivory Harvesting Pressure on the Genome of the African Elephant: A Phenotypic Shift to Tusklessness. Head Neck Pathol 2016; 10:332-5. [PMID: 26920555 PMCID: PMC4972762 DOI: 10.1007/s12105-016-0704-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The unique chequered pattern of elephant ivory has made it a desired commodity for the production of various works of art. The demand however outstrips the supply and with soaring prices, illegal tusk harvesting is thriving on the African continent. Formal restrictions placed on trade in elephant products have been ineffective in reversing the rapid decline in elephant numbers. We are presently facing the reality of extinction of free roaming elephant on the African continent. This paper describes the histogenesis of the chequered pattern, the genomic impact of ivory harvesting on the phenotype of breeding herds, and the contribution of science to tracing the origin of illegal ivory.
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21
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Tomaszewicz CT, Seminoff JA, Ramirez MD, Kurle CM. Effects of demineralization on the stable isotope analysis of bone samples. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2015; 29:1879-1888. [PMID: 26411509 PMCID: PMC4606465 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The sampling of sequential, annually formed bone growth layers for stable carbon (δ(13)C values) and nitrogen (δ(15)N values) isotope analysis (SIA) can provide a time series of foraging ecology data. To date, no standard protocol exists for the pre-SIA treatment of cortical samples taken from fresh, modern, bones. METHODS Based on the SIA of historical bone, it is assumed that fresh bone samples must be pre-treated with acid prior to SIA. Using an elemental analyzer coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer to measure stable carbon and nitrogen ratios, we tested the need to acidify cortical bone powder with 0.25 M HCl prior to SIA to isolate bone collagen for the determination of δ(13)C and δ(15)N values. We also examined the need for lipid extraction to remove potential biases related to δ(13)C analysis, based on a C:N ratio threshold of 3.5. RESULTS It was found that acidification of micromilled cortical bone samples from marine turtles does not affect their δ(15)N values, and the small effect acidification has on δ(13)C values can be mathematically corrected for, thus eliminating the need for pre-SIA acidification of cortical bone. The lipid content of the cortical bone samples was low, as measured by their C:N ratios, indicating that lipid extracting cortical bone samples from modern marine turtles is unnecessary. CONCLUSIONS We present a standard protocol for testing fresh, modern cortical bone samples prior to SIA, facilitating direct comparison of future studies. Based on the results obtained from marine turtle bones, pre-acidification and lipid removal of cortical bone are not recommended. This is especially useful as there is frequently not enough bone material removed via micromilling of sequential growth layers to accommodate both acid treatment and SIA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calandra Turner Tomaszewicz
- Division of Biological Sciences, Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution Section, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0116, USA
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Jeffrey A. Seminoff
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Matthew D. Ramirez
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97330, USA
| | - Carolyn M. Kurle
- Division of Biological Sciences, Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution Section, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0116, USA
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22
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Lehmann D, Mfune JKE, Gewers E, Brain C, Voigt CC. Individual variation of isotopic niches in grazing and browsing desert ungulates. Oecologia 2015; 179:75-88. [PMID: 25953117 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3335-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ungulates often adjust their diet when food availability varies over time. However, it is poorly understood when and to what extent individuals change their diet and, if they do so, if all individuals of a population occupy distinct or similar dietary niches. In the arid Namibian Kunene Region, we studied temporal variations of individual niches in grazing gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella) and predominantly browsing springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis). We used variation in stable C and N isotope ratios of tail hair increments as proxies to estimate individual isotopic dietary niches and their temporal plasticity. Isotopic dietary niches of populations of the two species were mutually exclusive, but similar in breadth. Isotopic niche breadth of gemsbok was better explained by within-individual variation than by between-individual variation of stable isotope ratios, indicating that gemsbok individuals were facultative specialists in using isotopically distinct local food resources. In contrast, inter- and intra-individual variations contributed similarly to the isotopic niche breadth of the springbok population, suggesting a higher degree of individual isotopic segregation in a more generalist ungulate. In both species, between-individual variation was neither explained by changes in plant primary productivity, sex, geographical position nor by group size. Within species, individual dietary niches overlapped partially, suggesting that both populations included individuals with distinct isotopic dietary niches. Our study provides the first evidence for isotopic dietary niche segregation in individuals of two distinct desert ungulates. Similar, yet isotopically distinct dietary niches of individuals may facilitate partitioning of food resources and thus individual survival in desert ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Lehmann
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, 10315, Berlin, Germany,
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23
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Bomb-curve radiocarbon measurement of recent biologic tissues and applications to wildlife forensics and stable isotope (paleo)ecology. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:11736-41. [PMID: 23818577 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1302226110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Above-ground thermonuclear weapons testing from 1952 through 1962 nearly doubled the concentration of radiocarbon ((14)C) in the atmosphere. As a result, organic material formed during or after this period may be radiocarbon-dated using the abrupt rise and steady fall of the atmospheric (14)C concentration known as the bomb-curve. We test the accuracy of accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating of 29 herbivore and plant tissues collected on known dates between 1905 and 2008 in East Africa. Herbivore samples include teeth, tusks, soft tissue, hair, and horn. Tissues formed after 1955 are dated to within 0.3-1.3 y of formation, depending on the tissue type, whereas tissues older than ca. 1955 have high age uncertainties (>17 y) due to the Suess effect. (14)C dating of tissues has applications to stable isotope (paleo)ecology and wildlife forensics. We use data from 41 additional samples to determine growth rates of tusks, molars, and hair, which improve interpretations of serial stable isotope data for (paleo)ecological studies. (14)C dating can also be used to calculate the time interval represented in periodic histological structures in dental tissues (i.e., perikymata), which in turn may be used as chronometers in fossil teeth. Bomb-curve (14)C dating of confiscated animal tissues (e.g., ivory statues) can be used to determine whether trade of the item is legal, because many Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species restrictions are based on the age of the tissue, and thus can serve as a powerful forensic tool to combat illegal trade in animal parts.
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Codron J, Kirkman K, Duffy KJ, Sponheimer M, Lee-Thorp JA, Ganswindt A, Clauss M, Codron D. Stable isotope turnover and variability in tail hairs of captive and free-ranging African elephants (Loxodonta africana) reveal dietary niche differences within populations. CAN J ZOOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2012-0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Many herbivore species expand their dietary niche breadths by switching from browse-rich diets in dry seasons to grass-rich diets in rainy seasons, in response to phenological changes in plant availability and quality. We analyzed stable isotope series along tail hairs of captive and free-ranging African elephant (Loxodonta africana (Blumenbach, 1797)) to compare patterns of seasonal dietary variability across individuals. Results from elephants translocated from the wild into captivity, where their diets are semicontrolled, revealed tail hair growth rates of ∼0.34 mm/day, on average, and relatively rapid isotope turnover through the transition from wild into captivity. Sampling hairs at 10 mm increments thus archives dietary chronologies at a resolution suitable for tracking diet switches at seasonal, and even subseasonal, scales. Hairs of free-ranging elephants showed extensive carbon isotopic variability within individuals, consistent with seasonal switches between C3-browsing and C4-grazing. Similarly extensive, but asynchronous, shifts in nitrogen isotope ratios were also observed, suggesting an influence of factors other than seasonality. Across individuals, switching patterns differed across habitats, and across age classes, with older, larger animals including increasing amounts of C3 browse into their diets. These results demonstrate how stable isotope approaches characterize complex patterns of resource use in wildlife populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Codron
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, RSA; Institute of Systems Science, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa; Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7701, RSA
| | - Kevin Kirkman
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, RSA
| | - Kevin J. Duffy
- Institute of Systems Science, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
| | - Matt Sponheimer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Julia A. Lee-Thorp
- Research Laboratory for Archaeology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Andre Ganswindt
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 0110, RSA; Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, RSA
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Daryl Codron
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, RSA; Florisbad Quaternary Research, National Museum, P.O. Box 266, Bloemfontein, 9300, RSA; Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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