Technical Note: Calcium and carbon stable isotope ratios as paleodietary indicators

Calcium stable isotope ratios are hypothesized to vary as a function of trophic level. This premise raises the possibility of using calcium stable isotope ratios to study the dietary behaviors of fossil taxa and to test competing hypotheses on the adaptive origins of euprimates. To explore this concept, we measured the stable isotope composition of contemporary mammals in northern Borneo and northwestern Costa Rica, two communities with functional or phylogenetic relevance to primate origins. We found that bone collagen δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values could differentiate trophic levels in each assemblage, a result that justifies the use of these systems to test the predicted inverse relationship between bioapatite δ¹³C and δ⁴⁴Ca values. As expected, taxonomic carnivores (felids) showed a combination of high δ¹³C and low δ⁴⁴Ca values; however, the δ⁴⁴Ca values of other faunivores were indistinguishable from those of primary consumers. We suggest that the trophic insensitivity of most bioapatite δ⁴⁴Ca values is attributable to the negligible calcium content of arthropod prey. Although the present results are inconclusive, the tandem analysis of δ⁴⁴Ca and δ¹³C values in fossils continues to hold promise for informing paleodietary studies and we highlight this potential by drawing attention to the stable isotope composition of the Early Eocene primate Cantius. Am J Phys Anthropol 154:633–643, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Morphology,diet, and stable carbon isotopes: On the diet of Theropithecus and some limits of uniformitarianism in paleoecology

Geladas were long supposed to be the only living primates feeding almost entirely on graminoids and accordingly display dramatic dental and manual adaptive traits. A recent study of Theropithecus gelada, the first in a relatively undisturbed habitat, revealed a more diverse diet, also incorporating large quantities of forbs. The peculiar adaptive traits of T. gelada are also observed in extinct Theropithecus as early as 3.7 Ma. Stable carbon isotopic data of extinct Theropithecus from eastern Africa indicate that specimens older than 3 Ma consumed a significant proportion of C₃ plants (on average ca. 40% of total food intake) whereas specimens younger than 2 Ma consumed more C₄ plants (on average ca. 80%). Recent paleobotanical evidence suggests that C₃ herbaceous plants were still present in non‐negligible proportions in Plio‐Pleistocene lowland tropical ecosystems. Together, the shared morphological adaptive traits of extant and extinct Theropithecus and the varied diets of extant T. gelada suggest that the paleodiets of Theropithecus may have been dominated by herbaceous plants, comprising both C₃ forbs and graminoids and C₄ graminoids. The changes in stable carbon isotopes could correspond to a replacement of C₃ plants by C₄ plants within the herbaceous strata rather than a shift from C₃ woody vegetation to C₄ graminoids. This synthesis highlights the need for a more exhaustive knowledge of the ecology of extant species to achieve meaningful paleodietary and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. A strong selectivity for food resources that are rare in the landscapes (as in T. gelada) should also be considered when interpreting stable carbon isotopes of extinct African mammals (and notably hominids).     

Variations in the diet of introduced Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) inferred using stable isotope analysis

The presence of introduced Norway rats Rattus norvegicus has raised concerns for the fate of the large least auklet Aethia pusilla colony situated at Sirius Point, Kiska Island, Alaska. Previous studies have documented extreme interannual variation in least auklet reproductive success and potential drastic population declines, both of which have been attributed to the varying abundance of, and predation by, Norway rats. A diet study would resolve the uncertainty that remains about the role of rats in the auklet's reproductive failure and the colony's decline. Our main objectives here were to quantify the variation in diet of introduced Norway rats and assess predation on least auklets. Using stable isotope analysis we document wide variability in rat diet dependent on location and provide direct evidence that Norway rats are preferentially preying on least auklets at Sirius Point. In conclusion, we hypothesize that the observed wide variability in rat diet will contribute to the persistence of rats on Kiska long after auklets have been extirpated. The persistence of rats enabled by their foraging plasticity will increase their effects by creating ecological traps within which prospecting individuals will fall and be depredated. This has large conservation consequences as it suggests that when seabirds are extirpated recolonization by prospecting birds is virtually impossible and island ecosystems will continue to be negatively affected and altered as long as introduced predators, such as rats, remain within them.     

水生动物碳氮稳定同位素富集系数的整合分析

同位素富集系数即动物组织与其食物之间同位素丰度（δ）的差异值(Δ),是稳定性同位素技术应用于生态系统营养关系、食性和食物网研究的重要参数.不同生境条件下和不同物种之间的富集系数通常被认为是相对稳定的,但越来越多的研究发现,富集系数在不同类型动物之间存在明显差异而不是一个恒定值,尽管这一差异范围仍不清楚.本文进行了3种不同权重设置方式的整合分析,综述并比较了4类水生动物(硬骨鱼类、甲壳类、爬行类、软体动物)的碳氮稳定同位素富集系数.在Web of Science和CNKI数据库上搜索2014年底之前发表的论文,获得了42篇包含140个Δ¹³C的研究结果和159个Δ¹⁵N的研究结果.使用3种不同的加权方式进行3次独立整合分析,3种加权方式分别是以方差倒数作为权重、以样本量作为权重和相等权重.结果表明,整合分析统计结果十分稳健,不同权重设置的分析结果差异很小.水生动物碳稳定同位素富集系数(Δ^13C)总体平均值为1.0‰,其中,硬骨鱼类1.0‰,甲壳类1.3‰,爬行类0.5‰,软体动物1.5‰;氮稳定同位素富集系数(Δ¹⁵N)总体平均值为2.6‰,其中,硬骨鱼类2.4‰,甲壳类3.6‰,爬行类1.0‰,软体动物2.5‰.统计分析表明,硬骨鱼类、甲壳类、爬行类、软体动物之间的Δ¹³C没有显著差异,而Δ¹⁵N存在显著差异.因此,应用稳定性同位素技术研究水生动物营养关系、食性和食物网中碳富集系数可以选择总体平均值,而氮富集系数则应根据不同水生动物类型选取相应的系数值.     

TDFCAM: A method for estimating stable isotope trophic discrimination in wild populations

1. Stable isotope mixing models (SIMMs) are widely used for characterizing wild animal diets. Such models rely upon using accurate trophic discrimination factors (TDFs) to account for the digestion, incorporation, and assimilation of food. Existing methods to calculate TDFs rely on controlled feeding trials that are time-consuming, often impractical for the study taxon, and may not reflect natural variability of TDFs present in wild populations.
2. We present TDF_CAM as an alternative approach to estimating TDFs in wild populations, by using high-precision diet estimates from a secondary methodological source—in this case nest cameras—in lieu of controlled feeding trials, and provide a framework for how and when it should be applied.
3. In this study, we evaluate the TDF_CAM approach in three datasets gathered on wild raptor nestlings (gyrfalcons Falco rusticolus; peregrine falcons Falco perigrinus; common buzzards Buteo buteo) comprising contemporaneous δ¹³C & δ¹⁵N stable isotope data and high-quality nest camera dietary data. We formulate Bayesian SIMMs (BSIMMs) incorporating TDFs from TDF_CAM and analyze their agreement with nest camera data, comparing model performance with those based on other relevant TDFs. Additionally, we perform sensitivity analyses to characterize TDF_CAM variability, and identify ecological and physiological factors contributing to that variability in wild populations.
4. Across species and tissue types, BSIMMs incorporating a TDF_CAM outperformed any other TDF tested, producing reliable population-level estimates of diet composition. We demonstrate that applying this approach even with a relatively low sample size (n < 10 individuals) produced more accurate estimates of trophic discrimination than a controlled feeding study conducted on the same species. Between-individual variability in TDF_CAM estimates for ∆¹³C & ∆¹⁵ N increased with analytical imprecision in the source dietary data (nest cameras) but was also explained by natural variables in the study population (e.g., nestling nutritional/growth status and dietary composition).
5. TDF_CAM is an effective method of estimating trophic discrimination in wild animal populations. Here, we use nest cameras as source dietary data, but this approach is applicable to any high-accuracy method of measuring diet, so long as diet can be monitored over an interval contemporaneous with a tissue's isotopic turnover rate.

     

人为营养物质输入对汉丰湖不同营养级生物的影响--稳定C、N同位素分析

以长江一级支流小江上游的汉丰湖为研究对象,设置了4个采样点(影响组:A, B;对照组:C, D),应用碳、氮稳定性同位素探讨人类生活污水和农业面源污染对汉丰湖水生生态系统中不同营养级水平生物类群的影响。结果表明:影响组POM(颗粒有机物)和螺类碳、氮稳定性同位素比值范围分别为-25.93‰--24.63‰、4.12‰-9.86‰,-14.28‰--21.60‰、7.97‰-19.99‰;对照组POM(颗粒有机物)和螺类碳、氮稳定性同位素比值范围分别为-25.62‰--22.51‰、0.01‰-6.56‰,-22.96‰--19.21‰、6.75‰-8.89‰;不同组间POM和初级消费者螺类碳同位素比值无明显空间变化(P>0.05), 而氮稳定性同位素比值空间变化显著(P<0.05)。因此,在汉丰湖食物网中,氮稳定性同位素特征更好地反应了营养物质(人为输入)吸收和富集的信息。与固着藻类、鱼类等相比,POM和软体动物螺类更适合作为环境评价的指示物。影响组A、B样点的部分生物类群已经受到了人为营养物质输入的影响,影响强度B样点区域>A样点区域。结果建议加强汉丰湖水环境保护,控制污水排放量及提高污水处理水平,对于保护小江和三峡库区水质具有十分重要的意义。     

Enrichment and characterization of ammonia-oxidizing archaea from the open ocean: phylogeny,physiology and stable isotope fractionation

Archaeal genes for ammonia oxidation are widespread in the marine environment, but direct physiological evidence for ammonia oxidation by marine archaea is limited. We report the enrichment and characterization of three strains of pelagic ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) from the North Pacific Ocean that have been maintained in laboratory culture for over 3 years. Phylogenetic analyses indicate the three strains belong to a previously identified clade of water column-associated AOA and possess 16S ribosomal RNA genes and ammonia monooxygenase subunit a (amoA) genes highly similar (98–99% identity) to those recovered in DNA and complementary DNA clone libraries from the open ocean. The strains grow in natural seawater-based liquid medium while stoichiometrically converting ammonia (NH₃) to nitrite (NO₂⁻). Ammonia oxidation by the enrichments is only partially inhibited by allylthiourea at concentrations known to completely inhibit cultivated ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. The three strains were used to determine the nitrogen stable isotope effect (¹⁵ɛ_NH3) during archaeal ammonia oxidation, an important parameter for interpreting stable isotope ratios in the environment. Archaeal ¹⁵ɛ_NH3 ranged from 13‰ to 41‰, within the range of that previously reported for ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Despite low amino acid identity between the archaeal and bacterial Amo proteins, their functional diversity as captured by ¹⁵ɛ_NH3 is similar.     

Spatial subsidies in spider diets vary with shoreline structure: Complementary evidence from molecular diet analysis and stable isotopes

Inflow of matter and organisms may strongly affect the local density and diversity of organisms. This effect is particularly evident on shores where organisms with aquatic larval stages enter the terrestrial food web. The identities of such trophic links are not easily estimated as spiders, a dominant group of shoreline predator, have external digestion. We compared trophic links and the prey diversity of spiders on different shore types along the Baltic Sea: on open shores and on shores with a reed belt bordering the water. A priori, we hypothesized that the physical structure of the shoreline reduces the flow between ecosystem and the subsidies across the sea–land interface. To circumvent the lack of morphologically detectable remains of spider prey, we used a combination of stable isotope and molecular gut content analyses. The two tools used for diet analysis revealed complementary information on spider diets. The stable isotope analysis indicated that spiders on open shores had a marine signal of carbon isotopes, while spiders on reedy shores had a terrestrial signal. The molecular analysis revealed a diverse array of dipteran and lepidopteran prey, where spiders on open and reedy shores shared a similar diet with a comparable proportion of chironomids, the larvae of which live in the marine system. Comparing the methods suggests that differences in isotope composition of the two spider groups occurred because of differences in the chironomid diets: as larvae, chironomids of reedy shores likely fed on terrestrial detritus and acquired a terrestrial isotope signature, while chironomids of open shores utilized an algal diet and acquired a marine isotope signature. Our results illustrate how different methods of diet reconstruction may shed light on complementary aspects of nutrient transfer. Overall, they reveal that reed belts can reduce connectivity between habitats, but also function as a source of food for predators.     

Tracing prey origins,proportions and feeding periods for predatory beetles from agricultural systems using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses

Predatory beetles are an important component of the natural enemy complex that preys on insect pests such as aphids within agroecosystems. Tracing diet origins and movement of natural enemies aids understanding their role in the food web and informs strategies for their effective conservation. Field sampling and laboratory experiments were carried out to examine the changes of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) among crops (cotton and maize), pests (cotton and maize aphids), and between wing and abdomen of predatory beetles, Propylea japonica, and to test the hypothesis that prey origins, proportions and feeding periods of the predatory beetles can be deduced by this stable isotope analysis. Results showed that the δ¹³C values both in wing and abdomen of adult P. japonica were changing from a C₃- to a C₄-based diet of aphids reared on maize or cotton, respectively; the isotope ratio of their new C₄ substrates were detectable within 7 days and the δ¹⁵N values began to reflect their new C₄ substrates within 3 days. The relationship between δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values of P. japonica adults in wing or abdomen and diets of aphids from a C₃-based resource transitioning to a C₄-based resource were described best in linear or quadratic equations. Results suggest that integrative analysis of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values can be regarded as a useful method for quantifying to trace prey origins, proportions of diets and feeding periods of natural enemies. The results can provide quantifying techniques for habitat management of natural enemies.     

Dietary adaptations and palaeoecology of Lophialetidae (Mammalia,Tapiroidea) from the Eocene of the Erlian Basin,China: combined evidence from mesowear and stable isotope analyses

Lophialetidae is an extinct group of endemic Asiatic tapiroids that are widely distributed in the Eocene sediments of Asia. Schlosseria magister and Lophialetes expeditus are the most abundant species in this family. However, their dietary and ecological characteristics are largely unknown. For the first time, we reconstruct the palaeodiet and habitat of these two lophialetids using a combination of mesowear and stable carbon isotope analysis of fossil teeth excavated from the Erlian Basin, China. Mesowear analysis (n = 141) suggests that the dietary structure of S. magister and L. expeditus shifted from less to more abrasive diets from ~52 to ~42 Ma. Stable carbon isotope analysis (n = 137) suggests that the habitats of S. magister and L. expeditus became drier and/or more open through time. The dietary shifts of the two lophialetids are consistent with evident changes in habitat. The changes in the diet and habitat were probably related to global climate change during that time period. The gradual drop in global temperatures during the early–middle Eocene led to a drier and more open terrestrial ecosystem in the Erlian Basin, probably resulting in changes in floral composition of the environment inhabited by S. magister and L. expeditus. Hence, herbivores highly susceptible to vegetation modification had to develop new resource exploitation strategies to adapt to these changes. Schlosseria magister, considered to be the sister-group of L. expeditus and with a low level of ecological flexibility, was unable to adapt to the habitat changes finally becoming extinct at ~45 Ma.     

基于胃含物分析和稳定同位素技术研究鳀的摄食生态

鳀是重要的渔业资源捕捞对象,同时也是生态系统营养动力学研究的关键种.基于2020年和2008-2009年东海区采集的鳀样品,结合胃含物分析和肌肉碳、氮稳定同位素技术,分析了鳀的食物组成、食性昼夜差异、不同发育阶段的食性转变及其营养级,研究鳀的摄食生态.胃含物分析显示,鳀主要摄食浮游甲壳类和小型鱼类,优势饵料依次为太平洋...     

The time scale of isotope signals in spiders: molting the remains of a previous diet

Stable isotope analysis (SIA) has emerged as an important tool for understanding consumer diets and diet shifts. However, although the general idea behind SIA is clear, the interpretation of data is often fraught with problems because tissue turnover and fractionations are not known. We investigated shifts in stable isotope composition of spiders following a diet shift, using mealworms fed either maize (C4) or wheat (C3) flour. Mealworms had different carbon isotope composition depending on their diet and this difference was reflected in spider body parts. In the experiment, we first fed the spiders on a diet of either maize‐fed or wheat‐fed mealworms and then switched diet at the time of the second molt. Spiders were then sampled repeatedly until the next molt. We sampled both legs and abdomens, as these are presumed to have different turnover of tissue, and also molt remains were sampled when this was relevant. The data indicated that the spider legs had a turnover of about 20 days, whereas the spider abdomens had a turnover of about 8 days. Molt remains had the slowest turnover and reflected the diet at the previous molt, when the exoskeleton was formed. Both these observations indicate that SIA may be successfully used for elucidating diet shifts. More problematic was the fact that fractionation of carbon isotope ratios varied with body parts and diets. When spiders were fed maize‐mealworms then the fractionation was larger for abdomens, but when the spiders were fed wheat‐mealworms then the fractionation was larger for legs. The mechanisms underlying this pattern are unclear and deserve further attention.     

Knowing and the truth: Three histories of Daugo Island,Papua New Guinea

Courts of law in Melanesian countries, particularly in the aftermath of the colonial period, have attempted to accommodate ‘custom’. In Papua New Guinea they commonly hear land claims under terms of reference that acknowledge the wide variety of customs among the many ethno‐linguistic groups comprising the nation. A corollary of this liberalism is that, in theory, they admit ‘traditional evidence’ including legends and myths. Yet as courts of law they are required to apply some criteria of proof and to search for the ‘truth’ by examining the ‘facts’. A long‐running land case from Papua New Guinea and its aftermath raises interesting questions about what happens when oral history encounters these legal imperatives, and may help us appreciate why Melanesians often do not regard a court's decision as final.     

Comparative stable isotope analyses of green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) and white sturgeon (A. transmontanus) in the San Francisco estuary

Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) and white sturgeon (A. transmontanus) are closely related, sympatric species that inhabit the San Francisco estuary. Green sturgeon have a more marine life history but both species spawn in the Sacramento River and reside for some duration in San Francisco Bay. These sturgeons are of conservation concern, yet little is known about their dietary competition when they overlap in space and time. To examine evidence of dietary differentiation, we collected whole blood and blood plasma from 26 green sturgeon and 35 white sturgeon in San Francisco Bay. Using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses, we compared their relative trophic levels and foraging locations along the freshwater to marine gradient. Sampling blood plasma and whole blood allowed comparison of dietary integration over shorter and longer time scales, respectively. Plasma and whole blood δ¹³C values confirmed green sturgeon had more marine dietary sources than white sturgeon. Plasma δ¹⁵N values revealed white sturgeon fed at lower trophic levels than green sturgeon recently, however, whole blood δ¹⁵N values demonstrated the two species fed at the same trophic level over longer time scales. Larger individuals of both species had higher δ¹³C values than smaller individuals, reflecting more marine food sources in adulthood. Length did not affect δ¹⁵N values of either species. Isotope analyses supported the more marine life history of green than white sturgeon and potentially highlight a temporary trophic differentiation of diet between species during and preceding the overlapping life stage in San Francisco Bay.     

降水稳定同位素研究的历史与现状——基于文献计量学及网络分析方法

降水稳定同位素可以揭示降水的不同水汽来源和水汽的季节转换。通过建立降水稳定同位素与不同气象要素的关系,可为区域水资源管理甚至可为生态修复中的植被恢复状态的研究提供重要的背景数据。为揭示降水稳定同位素研究的发展现状,基于文献计量学以及网络分析方法运用Citespace软件对1990—2017年Web of Science核心数据库中降水稳定同位素的相关文献进行可视化统计分析。发现降水稳定同位素相关的文献数量在呈逐年上升趋势,主要分布在地质、气象与大气科学、海洋学、湖泊沼泽学、古生物学等相关学科,美国、中国、德国、加拿大等国家以及中国科学院、美国地质调查局等研究机构文章数量较多,表现出较强的科研实力。利用Citespace软件绘制了降水稳定同位素研究相关文献的共被引、研究作者的共被引等知识图谱,对该研究领域知识基础及核心作者的影响力进行了探讨。图谱显示,2007年以来,Yao T、Risi C、Tian L等对降水稳定同位素的研究的推进起到了重要的推动作用。最后对该研究领域的关键词与词频等进行分析,绘制出降水稳定同位素研究领域的研究热点演进脉络,并确定leaf water、Tibetan Plateau、cellulose、environmental change、tree ring、atmospheric circulation、groundwater recharge、hydrograph separation等即将成为研究的新热点。近几年来,虽然研究的文章数量在逐年增加,但是核心作者及代表作品较少,与社会的实际生产应用结合度不足。在未来研究中在注重方法的更新的同时可考虑与社会生产实际相结合。