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Myburgh A, Myburgh J, Steyl J, Downs CT, Botha H, Robinson L, Woodborne S. The histology and growth rate of Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) claws. J Morphol 2023; 284:e21634. [PMID: 37708505 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
The histology and growth of reptilian and crocodilian claws (ungues) have been extensively studied; however, Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) claws have not received adequate attention. Furthermore, age estimations for reptilian claws remain unexplored, despite Nile crocodile claws being used in long-term dietary reconstruction studies, assuming certain age-related patterns. In this study, we investigate the histology and growth patterns of Nile crocodile claws, aiming to infer axes for sampling cornified material for radiocarbon dating and establish age estimations for crocodilian claws. Our findings reveal that Nile crocodile claws exhibit growth patterns similar to other reptilians, presenting as modified scutes/scales with an age profile along the sagittal plane. This profile starts at the basal germ matrix and progressively expands in thickness and age dorsoventrally towards the apex or "tip." Consequently, the oldest corneous material is concentrated at the most dorsal point of the claw's apex. To validate previous dietary reconstruction assumptions, we conducted radiocarbon dating on this region of the claw, which supported the idea that retained corneous material in the claws is typically relatively young (5-10 years old) due to abrasion. Our study contributes insights into the histology and growth dynamics of Nile crocodile claws, shedding light on their use in dietary reconstruction studies and emphasizing the significance of considering age-related assumptions in such investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Myburgh
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jan Myburgh
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Johan Steyl
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Colleen T Downs
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Hannes Botha
- Scientific Services, Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, Nelspruit, South Africa
- Department of Biodiversity, University of Limpopo, Polokwane, Limpopo, South Africa
| | - Liam Robinson
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Oral Pathology and Oral Biology Department, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Charapata P, Clark CT, Miller N, Kienle SS, Costa DP, Goebel ME, Gunn H, Sperou ES, Kanatous SB, Crocker DE, Borras-Chavez R, Trumble SJ. Whiskers provide time-series of toxic and essential trace elements, Se:Hg molar ratios, and stable isotope values of an apex Antarctic predator, the leopard seal. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 854:158651. [PMID: 36096211 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158651] [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: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In an era of rapid environmental change and increasing human presence, researchers need efficient tools for tracking contaminants to monitor the health of Antarctic flora and fauna. Here, we examined the utility of leopard seal whiskers as a biomonitoring tool that reconstructs time-series of significant ecological and physiological biomarkers. Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are a sentinel species in the Western Antarctic Peninsula due to their apex predator status and top-down effects on several Antarctic species. However, there are few data on their contaminant loads. We analyzed leopard seal whiskers (n = 18 individuals, n = 981 segments) collected during 2018-2019 field seasons to acquire longitudinal profiles of non-essential (Hg, Pb, and Cd) and essential (Se, Cu, and Zn) trace elements, stable isotope (ẟ15N and ẟ13C) values and to assess Hg risk with Se:Hg molar ratios. Whiskers provided between 46 and 286 cumulative days of growth with a mean ~ 125 days per whisker (n = 18). Adult whiskers showed variability in non-essential trace elements over time that could partly be explained by changes in diet. Whisker Hg levels were insufficient (<20 ppm) to consider most seals being at "high" risk for Hg toxicity. Nevertheless, maximum Hg concentrations observed in this study were greater than that of leopard seal hair measured two decades ago. However, variation in the Se:Hg molar ratios over time suggest that Se may detoxify Hg burden in leopard seals. Overall, we provide evidence that the analysis of leopard seal whiskers allows for the reconstruction of time-series ecological and physiological data and can be valuable for opportunistically monitoring the health of the leopard seal population and their Antarctic ecosystem during climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Charapata
- Baylor University, Biology Department, Waco, TX, United States of America.
| | - Casey T Clark
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Research Division, Olympia, WA, United States of America
| | - Nathan Miller
- Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Sarah S Kienle
- Baylor University, Biology Department, Waco, TX, United States of America
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Michael E Goebel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America; Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Heather Gunn
- Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States of America
| | - Emily S Sperou
- Baylor University, Biology Department, Waco, TX, United States of America
| | - Shane B Kanatous
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, United States of America
| | - Renato Borras-Chavez
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Stephen J Trumble
- Baylor University, Biology Department, Waco, TX, United States of America
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Woodborne S, Botha H, Huchzermeyer D, Myburgh J, Hall G, Myburgh A. Ontogenetic dependence of Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) isotope diet-to-tissue discrimination factors. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2021; 35:e9159. [PMID: 34224610 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The diet of wild Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) is difficult to assess because they are cryptic and nocturnal predators that are extremely sensitive to disturbance by observers, and stomach content analysis is challenging, especially in large specimens. Stable light isotope analysis provides a means of assessing their diet, but diet-to-tissue discrimination factors have yet to be established for the species. METHODS Isotope ratio (15 N/14 N and 13 C/12 C expressed as δ15 N and δ13 C) analyses of scutes, claws, and blood of farmed crocodiles of different sizes were compared with the isotope values of their lifelong diet, which comprises chickens from a single supplier. RESULTS Systematic size dependence in the diet-to-tissue discrimination factors for scute collagen, scute keratin, and claw keratin is described in regression relationships against the snout to vent length. Fixed values are presented for erythrocytes and blood plasma because blood was not sampled from juveniles. CONCLUSIONS The diet-to-tissue discrimination factors help assess the diet of wild crocodiles. The diet of crocodiles from Lake Flag Boshielo shows a clear ontogenic shift, as has been seen in other studies, and the results strongly indicate a dependence on the terrestrial food web rather than a fish diet. That this population may exploit a terrestrial diet highlights potential conflicts for conserving Nile crocodiles outside protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Woodborne
- Tandem & AMS Laboratory, iThemba LABS, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Stable Isotope Laboratory, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Hannes Botha
- Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, Scientific Services, Nelspruit, South Africa
- Department of Biodiversity, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa
| | | | - Jan Myburgh
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Grant Hall
- Stable Isotope Laboratory, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Albert Myburgh
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Doble PA, de Vega RG, Bishop DP, Hare DJ, Clases D. Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry Imaging in Biology. Chem Rev 2021; 121:11769-11822. [PMID: 34019411 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Elemental imaging gives insight into the fundamental chemical makeup of living organisms. Every cell on Earth is comprised of a complex and dynamic mixture of the chemical elements that define structure and function. Many disease states feature a disturbance in elemental homeostasis, and understanding how, and most importantly where, has driven the development of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) as the principal elemental imaging technique for biologists. This review provides an outline of ICP-MS technology, laser ablation cell designs, imaging workflows, and methods of quantification. Detailed examples of imaging applications including analyses of cancers, elemental uptake and accumulation, plant bioimaging, nanomaterials in the environment, and exposure science and neuroscience are presented and discussed. Recent incorporation of immunohistochemical workflows for imaging biomolecules, complementary and multimodal imaging techniques, and image processing methods is also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A Doble
- Atomic Medicine Initiative, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Raquel Gonzalez de Vega
- Atomic Medicine Initiative, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - David P Bishop
- Atomic Medicine Initiative, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Dominic J Hare
- Atomic Medicine Initiative, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales 2007, Australia.,School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - David Clases
- Atomic Medicine Initiative, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales 2007, Australia
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Wieringa JG, Nagel J, Nelson DM, Carstens BC, Gibbs HL. Using trace elements to identify the geographic origin of migratory bats. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10082. [PMID: 33133780 PMCID: PMC7580586 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The expansion of the wind energy industry has had benefits in terms of increased renewable energy production but has also led to increased mortality of migratory bats due to interactions with wind turbines. A key question that could guide bat-related management activities is identifying the geographic origin of bats killed at wind-energy facilities. Generating this information requires developing new methods for identifying the geographic sources of individual bats. Here we explore the viability of assigning geographic origin using trace element analyses of fur to infer the summer molting location of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis). Our approach is based on the idea that the concentration of trace elements in bat fur is related through the food chain to the amount of trace elements present in the soil, which varies across large geographic scales. Specifically, we used inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry to determine the concentration of fourteen trace elements in fur of 126 known-origin eastern red bats to generate a basemap for assignment throughout the range of this species in eastern North America. We then compared this map to publicly available soil trace element concentrations for the U.S. and Canada, used a probabilistic framework to generate likelihood-of-origin maps for each bat, and assessed how well trace element profiles predicted the origins of these individuals. Overall, our results suggest that trace elements allow successful assignment of individual bats 80% of the time while reducing probable locations in half. Our study supports the use of trace elements to identify the geographic origin of eastern red and perhaps other migratory bats, particularly when combined with data from other biomarkers such as genetic and stable isotope data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamin G Wieringa
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America.,Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Juliet Nagel
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Lab, Frostburg, MD, United States of America
| | - David M Nelson
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Lab, Frostburg, MD, United States of America
| | - Bryan C Carstens
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - H Lisle Gibbs
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America.,Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, Columbus, OH, United States of America
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Khatri-Chhetri U, Woods JG, Walker IR, Curtis PJ. Origin identification of migratory pests (European Starling) using geochemical fingerprinting. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8962. [PMID: 32411514 PMCID: PMC7204882 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The European Starling (Sturnidae: Sturnus vulgaris L.) is an invasive bird in North America where it is an agricultural pest. In British Columbia (Canada), the starling population increases in orchards and vineyards in autumn, where they consume and damage ripening fruits. Starlings also cause damage in dairy farms and feedlots by consuming and contaminating food and spreading diseases. Damage can be partly mitigated by the use of scare devices, which can disperse flocks until they become habituated. Large-scale trapping and euthanizing before starlings move to fields and farms could be a practical means of preventing damage, but requires knowledge of natal origin. Within a small (20,831 km2), agriculturally significant portion of south-central British Columbia, the Okanagan-Similkameen region, we used 21 trace elements in bone tissue to discriminate the spatial distribution of juvenile starlings and to reveal the geographic origin of the problem birds in fall. Stepwise discriminant analysis of trace elements classified juveniles to their natal origin (minimum discrimination distance of 12 km) with 79% accuracy. In vineyards and orchards, the majority (55%) of problem birds derive from northern portions of the valley; and the remaining 45% of problem birds were a mixture of local and immigrant/unassigned birds. In contrast, problem birds in dairy farms and feedlots were largely immigrants/unassigned (89%) and 11% were local from northern region of the valley. Moreover, elemental signatures can separate starling populations in the Valley yielding a promising tool for identifying the geographic origin of these migratory birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Upama Khatri-Chhetri
- Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - John G Woods
- Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ian R Walker
- Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - P Jeff Curtis
- Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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Tehrani MW, Yang KX, Parsons PJ. Development and characterization of reference materials for trace element analysis of keratinized matrices. Anal Bioanal Chem 2020; 412:1847-1861. [PMID: 32020317 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-020-02432-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Biomonitoring for human exposure to lead, arsenic, mercury, and other toxic metal(loid)s often relies on analyzing traditional biospecimens such as blood and urine. While biomonitoring based on blood and urine is well-established, non-traditional biospecimens such as hair and nails can offer the potential to explore past exposures as well as the advantages of non-invasive collection and ease of storage. The present study describes the production of four reference materials (NYS RMs 18-01 through 18-04) based on caprine horn, a keratinized tissue similar to human hair and nails, intended to serve as a resource for calibration, quality control, and method validation purposes. The elemental content and homogeneity of these candidate reference materials were characterized for 17 elements using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Commutability between two or more of the NYS caprine horn RMs and human nails was established for 8 elements (Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Sr, and Zn) based on analysis by ICP-MS/MS and ICP-optical emission spectrometry. The development and optimization of an ICP-MS/MS instrumental method for the determination of 17 elements in keratinized tissues is described. The method was validated against three certified reference materials based on human hair showing good accuracy and method repeatability better than 25% for all analytes. This study also describes sample preparation issues and addresses common challenges including surface contamination, microwave digestion, matrix effects, and spectral interferences in inorganic mass spectrometry. New York State Department of Health Keratin Matrix Reference Materials. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina W Tehrani
- Laboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, PO Box 509, Albany, NY, 12201, USA.,Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, 12222, USA.,Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Karl X Yang
- Laboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, PO Box 509, Albany, NY, 12201, USA.,Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Patrick J Parsons
- Laboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, PO Box 509, Albany, NY, 12201, USA. .,Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, 12222, USA.
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Limbeck A, Galler P, Bonta M, Bauer G, Nischkauer W, Vanhaecke F. Recent advances in quantitative LA-ICP-MS analysis: challenges and solutions in the life sciences and environmental chemistry. Anal Bioanal Chem 2015; 407:6593-617. [PMID: 26168964 PMCID: PMC4545187 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-015-8858-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Revised: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is a widely accepted method for direct sampling of solid materials for trace elemental analysis. The number of reported applications is high and the application range is broad; besides geochemistry, LA-ICP-MS is mostly used in environmental chemistry and the life sciences. This review focuses on the application of LA-ICP-MS for quantification of trace elements in environmental, biological, and medical samples. The fundamental problems of LA-ICP-MS, such as sample-dependent ablation behavior and elemental fractionation, can be even more pronounced in environmental and life science applications as a result of the large variety of sample types and conditions. Besides variations in composition, the range of available sample states is highly diverse, including powders (e.g., soil samples, fly ash), hard tissues (e.g., bones, teeth), soft tissues (e.g., plants, tissue thin-cuts), or liquid samples (e.g., whole blood). Within this article, quantification approaches that have been proposed in the past are critically discussed and compared regarding the results obtained in the applications described. Although a large variety of sample types is discussed within this article, the quantification approaches used are similar for many analytical questions and have only been adapted to the specific questions. Nevertheless, none of them has proven to be a universally applicable method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Limbeck
- Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Division of Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/164, 1060, Vienna, Austria,
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Ethier DM, Kyle CJ, Nocera JJ. Tracking animal movement by comparing trace element signatures in claws to spatial variability of elements in soils. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 468-469:699-705. [PMID: 24061061 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.08.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 08/23/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Biogeochemical markers in ecology have provided a useful means for indicating geographic origin and movement patterns of species on various temporal and spatial scales. We used trace element analysis to resolve spatial and habitat-specific environmental gradients in elemental distributions that could be used to infer geographic origin and habitat association in a model terrestrial carnivore: American badger (Taxidea taxus jacksoni). To accomplish this, we generated element base-maps using spatial principal component analysis, and assessed habitat-specific signatures using multivariate statistics from soil element concentrations in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Using canonical correlation analysis (CCA) we also test whether element variability in the claw keratin of a terrestrial carnivore could be explained by the chemical variability in the soils of the local environment. Results demonstrated that trace element signatures in soils vary locally with land use practices and soil texture type and broadly with the underlying geology. CCA results suggest that chemical profiles in claws can be linked to the surrounding chemical environment, providing evidence that geographic patterns in mammalian movement can be discerned on the basis of claw chemistry. From this, we conclude that geographic assignment of individuals based on element profiles in their tissues and referenced against soil elemental distributions would be coarse (at a spatial scale of 100-1000 km, depending on the chemical heterogeneity of the landscape), but could be used to assess origin of highly mobile animals or habitat association of individuals. Compared to stable isotope analysis, the assessment of trace elements can provide a much greater level of detail in backcasting animal movement pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Ethier
- University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
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