Size-based variation in intertissue comparisons of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures of bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) and tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier)

Stable isotopes are important tools for understanding the trophic roles of elasmobranchs. However, whether different tissues provide consistent stable isotope values within an individual are largely unknown. To address this, the relationships among carbon and nitrogen isotope values were quantified for blood, muscle, and fin from juvenile bull sharks ( Carcharhinus leucas ) and blood and fin from large tiger sharks ( Galeocerdo cuvier ) collected in two different ecosystems. We also investigated the relationship between shark size and the magnitude of differences in isotopic values between tissues. Isotope values were significantly positively correlated for all paired tissue comparisons, but R2 values were much higher for δ13C than for δ15N. Paired differences between isotopic values of tissues were relatively small but varied significantly with shark total length, suggesting that shark size can be an important factor influencing the magnitude of differences in isotope values of different tissues. For studies of juvenile sharks, care should be taken in using slow turnover tissues like muscle and fin, because they may retain a maternal signature for an extended time. Although correlations were relatively strong, results suggest that correction factors should be generated for the desired study species and may only allow coarse-scale comparisons between studies using different tissue types.

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Feeding patterns of two sympatric shark predators in coastal ecosystems of an oceanic island

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/cjfas-2016-0105 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 74 (2) ◽

pp. 216-227 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Clément Trystram ◽

Karyne M. Rogers ◽

Marc Soria ◽

Sébastien Jaquemet

Keyword(s):

Trophic Ecology ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Stomach Contents ◽

Nitrogen Isotope ◽

Oceanic Island ◽

Apex Predators ◽

Coastal Habitat ◽

Galeocerdo Cuvier ◽

Carcharhinus Leucas ◽

Bull Shark

Stomach contents and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses (δ13C and δ15N) were used to investigate the trophic ecology of two apex predators, tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) and bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas), from Reunion Island to describe their dietary habits at both the population and individual levels. In this oceanic island, the tiger and bull sharks were more piscivorous and teutophagous than noted in previous research from other localities. The δ13C values suggested that bull sharks depended on more neritic organic matter sources than tiger sharks, confirming a coastal habitat preference for bull sharks. Moreover, the total length of the bull shark influenced δ13C values, with smaller individuals being more coastal than larger individuals. All indicators suggest that there is a higher degree of similarity between individual tiger sharks compared with the more heterogeneous bull shark population, which is composed of individuals who specialize on different prey. These results suggest that the two species have different functions in these coastal habitats, and thus, they must be considered independently in terms of conservation and management.

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The Use of Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Analysis to Characterize Food Web Changes in Aquatic Systems for Reclamation of Oil Sands Process-Affected Materials

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrj.2009.032 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 44 (4) ◽

pp. 313-322 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Monalisa Elshayeb ◽

Michael D. MacKinnon ◽

D. George Dixon ◽

Michael Power

Keyword(s):

Food Web ◽

Oil Sands ◽

Isotope Analysis ◽

Naphthenic Acid ◽

Carbon Sources ◽

Nitrogen Isotope ◽

Isotopic Signatures ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Aquatic Food ◽

Northern Alberta

Abstract One strategy for reclamation of oil sands leases in northern Alberta is the construction of lakes and wetlands by capping oil sands process-affected material (OSPM) with water. To assess this approach, experimental sites containing a range of OSPM have been constructed to monitor the evolution of the resulting aquatic habitats. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were used to assess the effects of OSPM on aquatic food webs. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures of sediment, dissolved inorganic and organic carbon, particulate organic matter, periphyton, plants, plankton, aquatic invertebrates, and fish were used to assess differences related to the naphthenic acid (NA) concentration in OSPM and reference sites. NAs are a principal contaminant of concern in OSPM. Sites were grouped into low (0 to 4 mg/L), medium (4 to 15 mg/L), and high (>15 mg/L) NA concentrations. There were no significant differences in food web area or length among the three NA groupings. In most cases, carbon isotope analyses of samples from low, medium, and high NA concentration sites were not significantly different, suggesting that OSPM is not a significant contributor to food web carbon sources. Significant differences were found in nitrogen isotope signatures between low, medium, and high NA sites. Ammonia from OSPM is suggested as the main contributor to δ15N enrichment.

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Herding Practices in the Ditched Villages of the Neolithic Tavoliere (Apulia, South-east Italy)

Early Farmers ◽

10.5871/bacad/9780197265758.003.0008 ◽

2014 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mary Anne Tafuri ◽

John Robb ◽

Maria Giovanna Belcastro ◽

Valentina Mariotti ◽

Paola Iacumin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Farming Systems ◽

Nitrogen Isotope ◽

Animal Manure ◽

Great Level ◽

Isotopic Signatures ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Farming Communities ◽

Gargano Promontory ◽

Isotope Study ◽

Early Farming

In the Apulian Tavoliere (Italy), a large plain south of the Gargano promontory, early and middle Neolithic villages (c.6000–5000 BC) are characterised by circular ditches, which enclose dwellings associated with early farming communities. Through the integration of isotopic data the authors explore the food practices and the social landscapes of these communities, finding that this interconnected cultural system shows a great level of complexity, especially in the economic strategies of the groups investigated. The stable carbon and nitrogen isotope study of human and animal samples reveals how some sites, which are only a short distance from one another, show different isotopic signatures within a largely homogenous environment (for example Passo di Corvo versus Masseria Candelaro and Grotta Scaloria). The authors speculate that such differences reflect multi-faceted herding/farming systems, which in the case of Passo di Corvo involved the use of animal manure.

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Effects of urea and lipid removal from Carcharhinus leucas and Galeocerdo cuvier white muscle on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios

Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.4314/wiojms.v18i1.5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 47 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ulrich M. Martin ◽

Sébastien Jaquemet

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotope ◽

White Muscle ◽

Isotope Ratios ◽

Stable Isotope Ratios ◽

Nitrogen Stable Isotope ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Galeocerdo Cuvier ◽

Carcharhinus Leucas

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Stable isotopes provide independent support for the use of mesowear variables for inferring diets in African antelopes

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2012.1473 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 279 (1746) ◽

pp. 4441-4446 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Julien Louys ◽

Peter Ditchfield ◽

Carlo Meloro ◽

Sarah Elton ◽

Laura C. Bishop

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotopes ◽

Carbon Isotopes ◽

Nitrogen Isotopes ◽

Strong Support ◽

Nitrogen Isotope ◽

Direct Result ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopes ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

The Relationship

We examine the relationship between mesowear variables and carbon and nitrogen isotopes in 16 species of African antelope (Mammalia: Bovidae). We show significant differences in carbon and nitrogen isotope values between individuals exhibiting sharp versus round cusps, and high versus low occlusal relief. We show significant correlations between mesowear variables and both carbon and nitrogen isotopes. We find significant correlations between mesowear score and nitrogen, but not carbon isotopes. Finally, we find no significant correlations between hypsodonty index and either isotope examined. Our results provide strong support for the use of mesowear variables in palaeodietary reconstructions of antelopes. Our results further suggest that for the antelopes examined here, mesowear signals are a direct result of diet, while hyposodonty may be the result of phylogenetic legacy.

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Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Composition of the Wood of Pinus sylvestris, Betula pendula and Populus tremula

Paleontological Journal ◽

10.1134/s0031030120080171 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 54 (8) ◽

pp. 819-824

Author(s):

P. Yu. Voronin ◽

V. A. Mukhin ◽

T. A. Velivetskaya ◽

A. V. Ignatiev ◽

Vl. V. Kuznetsov

Keyword(s):

Pinus Sylvestris ◽

Betula Pendula ◽

Isotope Composition ◽

Nitrogen Isotope ◽

Populus Tremula ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Nitrogen Isotope Composition

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Temperature affects carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic signatures of aquatic plants

Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1007/s00027-021-00794-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 83 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Peiyu Zhang ◽

Xianghong Kong ◽

Elisabeth S. Bakker ◽

Jun Xu ◽

Min Zhang

Keyword(s):

Aquatic Plants ◽

Isotopic Signatures ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Stable Isotopic

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How Does Diet Influence Our Lives? Evaluating the Relationship between Isotopic Signatures and Mortality Patterns in Italian Roman Imperial and Medieval Periods

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26133895 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (13) ◽

pp. 3895

Author(s):

Marica Baldoni ◽

Alessandra Nardi ◽

Flavio De Angelis ◽

Olga Rickards ◽

Cristina Martínez-Labarga

Keyword(s):

Middle Ages ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Roman Period ◽

Survivorship Analysis ◽

Linear Effect ◽

Isotopic Signatures ◽

Carbon Isotopic ◽

Religious Aspects ◽

The Relationship ◽

Source Of Information

The present research investigates the relationship between dietary habits and mortality patterns in the Roman Imperial and Medieval periods. The reconstructions of population dynamics and subsistence strategies provide a fascinating source of information for understanding our history. This is particularly true given that the changes in social, economic, political, and religious aspects related to the transition from the Roman period to the Middle Ages have been widely discussed. We analyzed the isotopic and mortality patterns of 616 individuals from 18 archeological sites (the Medieval Latium sites of Colonna, Santa Severa, Allumiere, Cencelle, and 14 Medieval and Imperial funerary contexts from Rome) to compile a survivorship analysis. A semi-parametric approach was applied, suggesting variations in mortality patterns between sexes in the Roman period. Nitrogen isotopic signatures influenced mortality in both periods, showing a quadratic and a linear effect for Roman Imperial and Medieval populations, respectively. No influence of carbon isotopic signatures has been detected for Roman Imperial populations. Conversely, increased mortality risk for rising carbon isotopic values was observed in Medieval samples.

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