Stable isotope profiles in sperm whale teeth: variations between areas and sexes
Sperm whale ( Physeter macrocephalus ) teeth were used to investigate whether variation in the chronological profiles of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios along dentine growth layers could reflect differences in ontogenetic movements and/or dietary shifts in animals from different regions an...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315407056019 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315407056019 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0025315407056019 2024-03-03T08:47:58+00:00 Stable isotope profiles in sperm whale teeth: variations between areas and sexes Mendes, Sónia Newton, Jason Reid, Robert J. Frantzis, Alexandros Pierce, Graham J. 2007 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315407056019 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315407056019 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 87, issue 2, page 621-627 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 Aquatic Science journal-article 2007 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315407056019 2024-02-08T08:27:11Z Sperm whale ( Physeter macrocephalus ) teeth were used to investigate whether variation in the chronological profiles of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios along dentine growth layers could reflect differences in ontogenetic movements and/or dietary shifts in animals from different regions and sexes, as well as to show the differences in the isotopic environments experienced by these animals. Absolute isotopic ratios ranged from -14.1 to -11.0‰ for carbon and 10.8 to 18.1‰ for nitrogen, with the whale from the Indian Ocean, the two from the Mediterranean Sea and the female from the Azores presenting the most different median isotopic ratios. The Icelandic and the Indian Ocean males showed the expected decrease in δ 13 C around the age of ten, denoting male segregation from natal groups. For the latter, this was larger by almost twofold compared to other teeth, probably due to the much stronger latitudinal gradient in planktonic δ 13 C in the southern hemisphere. The Mediterranean Sea whales exhibited the lowest median δ 15 N values, probably reflecting the oligotrophy of this sea, while the male showed a marked change in isotopes around the age of 20 that could indicate a move to the eastern basin or a temporal change in basal isotopic signatures. The Atlantic females did not show a marked change in δ 13 C as expected since they stay in low latitudes throughout their lives. Stable isotope profiles in whale teeth can be used to investigate differences in the timings of ontogenetic movements and dietary history between individuals and sexes, and the biogeochemistry of different regions inhabited, and have the potential to allow inferences to be made about population substructure. Article in Journal/Newspaper Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale Cambridge University Press Indian Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 87 2 621 627 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Aquatic Science |
spellingShingle |
Aquatic Science Mendes, Sónia Newton, Jason Reid, Robert J. Frantzis, Alexandros Pierce, Graham J. Stable isotope profiles in sperm whale teeth: variations between areas and sexes |
topic_facet |
Aquatic Science |
description |
Sperm whale ( Physeter macrocephalus ) teeth were used to investigate whether variation in the chronological profiles of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios along dentine growth layers could reflect differences in ontogenetic movements and/or dietary shifts in animals from different regions and sexes, as well as to show the differences in the isotopic environments experienced by these animals. Absolute isotopic ratios ranged from -14.1 to -11.0‰ for carbon and 10.8 to 18.1‰ for nitrogen, with the whale from the Indian Ocean, the two from the Mediterranean Sea and the female from the Azores presenting the most different median isotopic ratios. The Icelandic and the Indian Ocean males showed the expected decrease in δ 13 C around the age of ten, denoting male segregation from natal groups. For the latter, this was larger by almost twofold compared to other teeth, probably due to the much stronger latitudinal gradient in planktonic δ 13 C in the southern hemisphere. The Mediterranean Sea whales exhibited the lowest median δ 15 N values, probably reflecting the oligotrophy of this sea, while the male showed a marked change in isotopes around the age of 20 that could indicate a move to the eastern basin or a temporal change in basal isotopic signatures. The Atlantic females did not show a marked change in δ 13 C as expected since they stay in low latitudes throughout their lives. Stable isotope profiles in whale teeth can be used to investigate differences in the timings of ontogenetic movements and dietary history between individuals and sexes, and the biogeochemistry of different regions inhabited, and have the potential to allow inferences to be made about population substructure. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mendes, Sónia Newton, Jason Reid, Robert J. Frantzis, Alexandros Pierce, Graham J. |
author_facet |
Mendes, Sónia Newton, Jason Reid, Robert J. Frantzis, Alexandros Pierce, Graham J. |
author_sort |
Mendes, Sónia |
title |
Stable isotope profiles in sperm whale teeth: variations between areas and sexes |
title_short |
Stable isotope profiles in sperm whale teeth: variations between areas and sexes |
title_full |
Stable isotope profiles in sperm whale teeth: variations between areas and sexes |
title_fullStr |
Stable isotope profiles in sperm whale teeth: variations between areas and sexes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Stable isotope profiles in sperm whale teeth: variations between areas and sexes |
title_sort |
stable isotope profiles in sperm whale teeth: variations between areas and sexes |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315407056019 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315407056019 |
geographic |
Indian |
geographic_facet |
Indian |
genre |
Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale |
genre_facet |
Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale |
op_source |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 87, issue 2, page 621-627 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315407056019 |
container_title |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |
container_volume |
87 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
621 |
op_container_end_page |
627 |
_version_ |
1792504297942941696 |