Ontogenetic dietary information of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) assessed using stable isotope analysis

We used stable carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotopes to examine ontogenetic dietary changes in 289 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) at San Miguel Island, California during 2004–2007. Tissues analyzed included fur, red blood cells, plasma, and serum. For all tissues, pups had higher δ¹⁵N values and lower δ¹³C values compared to adults, which indicated that pups were feeding higher trophically than older conspecifics and on a lipid‐rich milk diet prior to weaning. Yearling δ¹⁵N values were slightly lower than pup or nearly indistinguishable from adult values depending on the tissue analyzed, indicating a dietary shift from maternal dependency to independent foraging. Juveniles (2–4 yr) and adults (>4 yr) had similar δ¹⁵N values indicating they fed at a similar trophic level. There did not appear to be a pronounced dietary shift in δ¹³C values. However, δ¹³C values integrated with telemetry data indicated that postweaned individuals fed in similar foraging areas. Dietary changes during early life stages may be due to differences in physiology, morphology, experience, or energetic requirements; however, young animals are able to attain the skills needed to consume adult prey types near the end of their second year of life.     

植物叶片水稳定同位素研究进展

植物叶片水稳定同位素变化可以直接沟通植物叶片内部与外界的物质和能量联系,并能够反映植物生长周围的气候与生态信息.另外,植物叶片水作为参与水循环的一个重要环节,了解叶片水稳定同位素组成有助于揭示其在局地水体稳定同位素循环中的分配与贡献.概述了国内外叶片水稳定同位素研究现况;介绍了叶片水稳定氢、氧同位素在植物体中的分馏过程及形式(热力学平衡分馏、动力学分馏以及生化分馏)以及影响叶片水稳定同位素组成的气象和生态因子;阐述了叶片水稳定同位素修正的Craig-Gordon稳态模型、string-of-lakes模型、Péclet效应的稳态模型、非稳态效应的模型、Péclet效应的非稳态模型以及二维模型的构建与完善过程;最后讨论了植物叶片水稳定同位素研究存在的问题,并从叶片水稳定同位素与气象、生态因子的关系,叶片水蒸腾线的斜率和截距及过量氘的意义,模型适用性的验证以及叶片水稳定同位素在水文循环的应用等方面展望了研究方向.     

North Atlantic minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) feeding habits and migrations evaluated by stable isotope analysis of baleen

Isotopic analyses of the incrementally growing baleen in Mysticeti have been used to learn about their feeding and movement patterns. Using methods previously applied to Pacific minke whales, stable δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C isotope values were measured along the baleen plates of male and female minke whales from two locations in the Northeast Atlantic. The sample sizes used in this study are comparable to those previously used in the literature, and, although limited in size, the evidence suggests differences in isotopic signatures between whales caught at different locations. Both the δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C data suggest whales at the higher latitude site of Svalbard have a narrower diet than the whales from Lofoten/Vesterålen in Norway. Across all whales, the δ¹⁵N data indicate the whales primarily prey on fish for much of the year, only switching to zooplankton during the spring bloom. The δ¹³C data fail to confirm whether the whales migrate over long distances.     

肠道微生物菌群共存网络的构建与分析

【目的】将网络分析应用到肠道微生物的分析之中,探究肠道微生物共存网络拓扑结构等相关网络系数的分析,从而展现肠道微生物共存网络的特性。【方法】将之前研究中的肠道微生物数据根据雌马酚代谢能力划分成雌马酚产生者和非产生者两组,计算两组微生物相对丰度,得出菌种之间的相关系数,构建肠道微生物的共存网络,分析两组间共存网络参数的差异;运用随机网络检验现实网络拓扑结构的特异性,分析两组网络中菌种间的差异。【结果】共存网络中两组节点数分别为45个和47个,即分别有45个和47个不同菌种。比较两组网络结构的差异,发现雌马酚产生者组中的共存网络菌群具有更复杂的连接,且两组之间的其他网络参数存在一定的差异。通过将现实网络与随机网络对比可知,现实网络的拓扑结构具有一定的特异性。将具有代谢雌马酚相关物质能力的菌种在两组网络中标出,发现它们在雌马酚产生者组共存网络中更趋向与来自不同门的菌种产生相互联系。【结论】将网络分析应用于肠道微生物分析之中,可以发掘菌种之间的相互作用和网络拓扑结构的复杂性与差异性,展现肠道菌群结构中之前较少被认识到的一些特征。因而,网络分析的方法可以为未来肠道微生物的研究提供新的视角。     

东太平洋赤道海域茎柔鱼的营养生态位和肠道微生物组成

掌握海洋生物的营养生态位特征及其应对环境变化的响应机制,对于评估渔业和气候变化对海洋生态系统功能的影响至关重要.茎柔鱼(Dosidicus gigas)是东太平洋重要的渔业经济物种,在生态系统中具有承上启下的重要生态作用.在气候变化的大背景下,掌握茎柔鱼应对气候变化的响应过程将有利于合理把控其资源状况.本研究采用稳定同...     

Determining isotopic life history trajectories using bone density fractionation and stable isotope measurements: a new approach

A number of recent studies have attempted to trace diet at different stages of an individual's life by comparing isotope ratios of bone from different gross anatomical sites within the skeleton. In this study we develop this approach further by separating bone of differing mineral densities within one skeletal element, where each density fraction represents a different period of time. Isotope ratios are measured for these fractions. Each density fraction represents a period of bone formation and maturation, where younger (more recently formed) bone is less well-mineralized and therefore less dense than relatively older packets of bone. In an adult, bone is therefore able to partition approximately the last 15 years of life. Bone fractions were recovered by stepped ultracentrifugation in a series of organic solvents of increasing density, and then collagen was recovered by decalcification in dilute acid, and stable carbon isotope ratios ((13)C/(12)C) were measured. Bone density microstructure was checked for bacterial remodelling using backscattered electron imaging in a scanning electron microscope. Our results indicate that the bone density fractionation method is applicable to archaeological material, here extending to a maximum of 5,000 years BP, and that collagen can successfully be extracted from such fractions. The carbon isotope values for bone fractions of different densities patterned out as expected in one modern control bone and in specimens from five archaeological human skeletons, including three precolonial hunter-gatherers and two 18th/19th century individuals. The latter two are known (from previous assessments) to have undergone marked changes in diet during their lifetimes. Postmortem alteration was evident in some of the specimens examined. The bone density fractionation approach has allowed greater resolution of diet than has hitherto been possible and has provided access to the elusive last years and months of an individual's life.     

Lessons from the diet: Captivity and sex shape the gut microbiota in an oviparous lizard (Calotes versicolor)

Studies have indicated that the abundance and community structure of gut microbiota are altered by diet. In this study, next‐generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene amplicon was performed to evaluate variations in the gut microbiota of wild and captive individuals of both sexes of Calotes versicolor. The results showed that there was a significant sex difference in microbial community structure for wild C. versicolor, Bacteroide was the dominant genus in wild females (WF), whereas Ochrobactrum was the dominant genus in wild males (WM). Acinetobacter and Hymenobacter were the dominant genera in WF, while Clostridium was the dominant genus in captive females (CF). The results indicated that differences in diet between wild and captive C. versicolor also resulted in variations in gut microbiota. Thus, it was not surprising that captivity and sex shape the gut microbiota in C. versicolor. In summary, the fundamental information presented about the gut microbiota of both sexes of wild (and captive females) C. versicolor, indicates that the artificial environments are not suitable for the wild C. versicolor.     

Ferox Trout (Salmo trutta) as `Russian dolls': complementary gut content and stable isotope analyses of the Loch Ness foodweb

1. Conventional collection methods for pelagic fish species (netting, trawling) are impractical or prohibited in Loch Ness, U.K. To investigate trophic relationships at the top of the Loch Ness food web, an alternative strategy, angling, provided samples of the top predator, the purely piscivorous ferox trout ( Salmo trutta ).
2. The gut contents of these fish provided further samples of prey-fish, and subsequent examination of prey-fish guts revealed their dietary intake, analogous to the famous nested `Russian dolls'. Each trophic level separated by gut content analysis provided further complementary samples for stable isotope analysis and thus information on the longer term, assimilated diet.
3. Ferox trout exhibited considerable cannibalism to supplement a diet of Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus ). However, conspecifics stemmed from a lower isotopic baseline in relation to charr, so ferox trout exhibited a lower trophic level than predicted (4.3) by using the δ¹⁵N values. Charr displayed dietary specialisation with increasing length, and isotopic values supported by the gut data placed the charr at a trophic level of 3.5. The isotope data also indicated that charr carbon was primarily autochthonous in origin.     

典型林区水分氢氧稳定同位素在土壤-植物-大气连续体中的分布特征

土壤-植物-大气连续体(SPAC)中水循环是水文学和生态学研究的重要内容,氢氧稳定同位素在不同水体中组成特征的差异可以指示水分循环过程.本研究通过分析成都平原区亚热带常绿阔叶林中降水、土壤水、植物水的同位素组成,探讨SPAC系统中水分的氢氧稳定同位素演化特征,揭示区域水循环不同界面过程.结果 表明:研究区雨季大气降水线...     

稳定同位素技术在植物水分利用研究中的应用

近20a稳定同位素技术在植物生态学研究中的应用得到了长足发展,使得对植物与水分关系也有了更深一步的了解。介绍稳定同位素性碳、氢、氧同位素在研究植物水分关系中的应用及进展,以期能为国内植物水分利用研究提供参考。由于植物根系从土壤中吸收水分时并不发生同位素分馏,对木质部水分同位素分析有助于对植物利用水分来源,生态系统中植物对水分的竞争和利用策略的研究,更好地了解生态系统结构与功能。稳定碳同位素作为植物水分利用效率的一个间接指标,在不同水分梯度环境中,及植物不同代谢产物与水分关系中有着广泛的应用。同位素在土壤-植被-大气连续体水分中的应用,有助于了解生态系统的水分平衡。随着稳定同位素方法的使用,植物与水分关系的研究将取得更大的进展。     

Determination of isotope ratios in human tissues enriched with zinc stable isotope tracers using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Enriched fecal and urine samples were prepared using ion-exchange column chromatography for analysis by Inductively Coupled and Fast Atom Bombardment Mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, FAB-MS) to compare precision between methods. Unenriched samples of human milk, feces, and whole blood were prepared similarly to monitor instrumental precision and analytical error. A least squares fit of the ICP-MS results vs the FAB-MS for⁷⁰Zn/⁶⁴Zn gave a slope of 0.98, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of only 0.7%. The results for⁶⁸Zn/⁶⁴Zn gave a slope of 0.82, with a RSD of 14%. For unenriched tissues, all potential interferences were removed by the preparation procedure with no significant differences between preparation for isotope ratios of⁷⁰Zn/⁶⁴Zn,⁶⁸Zn/⁶⁴Zn,⁶⁷Zn/⁶⁴Zn, and⁶⁶Zn/⁶⁴Zn. Poisson counting statistics are a major contribution to the total analytical error indicating the usefulness of this procedure for enrichment studies.     

An elemental and stable isotope assessment of water strider feeding ecology and lipid dynamics: synthesis of laboratory and field studies

1. Despite the ubiquity and abundance of water striders (Hemiptera: Gerridae) in temperate streams and rivers and their potential usefulness as sentinels in contaminant studies, little is known about their feeding ecology and lipid dynamics. 2. In this study we used stable isotopes of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and elemental carbon to nitrogen ratios (C/N) to assess dietary habits and lipid content, respectively, for water striders. 3. To determine diet‐tissue fractionation factors, nymphs of the most common species in New Brunswick, Canada, Aquarius remigis were reared in the laboratory for 73 days and exhibited rapid isotopic turnover in response to a switch in diet (C half‐life = 1.5 days, N half‐life = 7.8 days). Their lipid content increased towards the end of the growing season and resulted in lower δ¹³C values. Diet‐tissue fractionation factors were established after correction of δ¹³C data for the confounding effect of de novo lipid synthesis (strider δ¹³C_adj– diet δ¹³C_adj = 0.1‰, strider δ¹⁵N – diet δ¹⁵N = 2.7‰). 4. Water striders from the majority of 45 stream sites (83%) in New Brunswick had less than 50% contribution of aquatic carbon to their diets but showed a gradual increase in the contribution of this carbon source to their diet with increasing stream size. 5. These data indicate that striders exhibit a strong connection to terrestrial carbon sources, making them important users of energy subsidies to streams from the surrounding catchment. However, this dependence on terrestrial organic matter may limit their utility as indicators of contamination of aquatic systems by heavy metals and other pollutants.     

Measuring the gut microbiome in birds: Comparison of faecal and cloacal sampling

The gut microbiomes of birds and other animals are increasingly being studied in ecological and evolutionary contexts. Numerous studies on birds and reptiles have made inferences about gut microbiota using cloacal sampling; however, it is not known whether the bacterial community of the cloaca provides an accurate representation of the gut microbiome. We examined the accuracy with which cloacal swabs and faecal samples measure the microbiota in three different parts of the gastrointestinal tract (ileum, caecum, and colon) using a case study on juvenile ostriches, Struthio camelus, and high‐throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. We found that faeces were significantly better than cloacal swabs in representing the bacterial community of the colon. Cloacal samples had a higher abundance of Gammaproteobacteria and fewer Clostridia relative to the gut and faecal samples. However, both faecal and cloacal samples were poor representatives of the microbial communities in the caecum and ileum. Furthermore, the accuracy of each sampling method in measuring the abundance of different bacterial taxa was highly variable: Bacteroidetes was the most highly correlated phylum between all three gut sections and both methods, whereas Actinobacteria, for example, was only strongly correlated between faecal and colon samples. Based on our results, we recommend sampling faeces, whenever possible, as this sample type provides the most accurate assessment of the colon microbiome. The fact that neither sampling technique accurately portrayed the bacterial community of the ileum nor the caecum illustrates the difficulty in noninvasively monitoring gut bacteria located further up in the gastrointestinal tract. These results have important implications for the interpretation of avian gut microbiome studies.     

Bacteria,phages and pigs: the effects of in-feed antibiotics on the microbiome at different gut locations

Disturbance of the beneficial gut microbial community is a potential collateral effect of antibiotics, which have many uses in animal agriculture (disease treatment or prevention and feed efficiency improvement). Understanding antibiotic effects on bacterial communities at different intestinal locations is essential to realize the full benefits and consequences of in-feed antibiotics. In this study, we defined the lumenal and mucosal bacterial communities from the small intestine (ileum) and large intestine (cecum and colon) plus feces, and characterized the effects of in-feed antibiotics (chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine and penicillin (ASP250)) on these communities. 16S rRNA gene sequence and metagenomic analyses of bacterial membership and functions revealed dramatic differences between small and large intestinal locations, including enrichment of Firmicutes and phage-encoding genes in the ileum. The large intestinal microbiota encoded numerous genes to degrade plant cell wall components, and these genes were lacking in the ileum. The mucosa-associated ileal microbiota harbored greater bacterial diversity than the lumen but similar membership to the mucosa of the large intestine, suggesting that most gut microbes can associate with the mucosa and might serve as an inoculum for the lumen. The collateral effects on the microbiota of antibiotic-fed animals caused divergence from that of control animals, with notable changes being increases in Escherichia coli populations in the ileum, Lachnobacterium spp. in all gut locations, and resistance genes to antibiotics not administered. Characterizing the differential metabolic capacities and response to perturbation at distinct intestinal locations will inform strategies to improve gut health and food safety.     

Intrapopulation variation in carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in the earthworm Aporrectodea longa

The natural abundance variations in carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in a population of the earthworm Aporrectodea longa, a species known to feed on both soil and plant litter, is reported in this paper. Worms were collected from a small land area of an old white clover field and body tissue and mucus were analyzed separately. The range of isotopic values was small, but patterns of variation were not random. Tissue carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were significantly higher in adult than in juvenile A. longa and tissue nitrogen isotope ratios tended to increase with increasing biomass of individuals. Further, carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were positively correlated in both tissue and mucus. Possible causes of the observed patterns, including physiological effects, body composition and assimilation of C and N from different plant, soil and microbial sources are discussed. It is concluded that the causes of natural variability in isotopic composition must be understood and validated experimentally before natural abundance stable isotope methods can be used for the analysis of trophic relations among detritivorous soil invertebrates.     

Street fighters: Bite force,injury rates,and density of urban Australian water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii)

In an increasingly urbanized world it is imperative that we understand how wildlife responds to this novel anthropogenic landscape, both at the individual‐ and population‐level. Urbanization generally reduces biodiversity, but can also favour particular species and increase their abundance relative to wild populations. When population density increases, so too does the frequency and cost of social interactions. We studied Australian water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii), a species common in urban, semi‐natural and natural areas, to firstly test the prediction that urban populations occur at higher densities, and then determine the consequences of urbanization for combat rates (quantified using wounding) and bite force. We established that urban populations are denser than ones from semi‐natural and natural habitats. We also recorded significantly more wounds in females from urban populations than females from both natural and semi‐natural populations. Urban males also had significantly higher incidence of wounding than males from natural populations. We did not find a difference in male or female bite force among any populations across the urban‐natural gradient. Overall, we found evidence that urbanization results in a higher population density of water dragons and more frequent conspecific combat, but this was not associated with an increase in bite force. These finding suggests that there may be a physiological cost to living in urban habitats related to increased contest rates and wounding.     

A descriptive analysis of gut microbiota composition in differentially reared infant rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) across the first 6 months of life

The gastrointestinal microbiome is recognized as a critical component in host immune function, physiology, and behavior. Early life experiences that alter diet and social contact also influence these outcomes. Despite the growing number of studies in this area, no studies to date have examined the contribution of early life experiences on the gut microbiome in infants across development. Such studies are important for understanding the biological and environmental factors that contribute to optimal gut microbial colonization and subsequent health. We studied infant rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) across the first 6 months of life that were pseudo‐randomly assigned to one of two different rearing conditions at birth: mother‐peer‐reared (MPR), in which infants were reared in social groups with many other adults and peers and nursed on their mothers, or nursery‐reared (NR), in which infants were reared by human caregivers, fed formula, and given daily social contact with peers. We analyzed the microbiome from rectal swabs (total N = 97; MPR = 43, NR = 54) taken on the day of birth and at postnatal Days 14, 30, 90, and 180 using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Bacterial composition differences were evident as early as 14 days, with MPR infants exhibiting a lower abundance of Bifidobacterium and a higher abundance of Bacteroides than NR infants. The most marked differences were observed at 90 days, when Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Bacteroides, Clostridium, and Prevotella differed across rearing groups. By Day 180, no differences in the relative abundances of the bacteria of interest were observed. These novel findings in developing primate neonates indicate that the early social environment as well as diet influence gut microbiota composition very early in life. These results also lay the groundwork for mechanistic studies examining the effects of early experiences on gut microbiota across development with the ultimate goal of understanding the clinical significance of developmental changes.     

Reconstructing the diets of Greek Byzantine populations (6th-15th centuries AD) using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios

Documentary evidence and artistic representations have traditionally served as the primary sources of information about Byzantine diet. According to these sources, Byzantine diet was based on grain (primarily wheat and barley), oil, and wine, supplemented with legumes, dairy products, meat, and marine resources. Here, we synthesize and compare the results of stable isotope ratio analyses of eight Greek Byzantine populations (6th-15th centuries AD) from throughout Greece. The δ(13) C and δ(15) N values are tightly clustered, suggesting that all of these populations likely consumed a broadly similar diet. Both inland and coastal Byzantine populations consumed an essentially land-based C(3) diet, significant amounts of animal protein, and possibly some C(4) plants, while no evidence of a general dependence on low-δ(15) N legumes was observed. One interesting result observed in the isotopic data is the evidence for the consumption of marine protein at both coastal sites (a reasonable expectation given their location) and for some individuals from inland sites. This pattern contrasts with previous isotopic studies mainly on prehistoric Greek populations, which have suggested that marine species contributed little, or not at all, to the diet. The possibility that fasting practices contributed to marine protein consumption in the period is discussed, as are possible parallels with published isotope data from western European medieval sites.