Intra-specific Niche Partitioning in Antarctic Fur Seals, Arctocephalus gazella
Abstract Competition for resources within a population can lead to niche partitioning between sexes, throughout ontogeny and among individuals, allowing con-specifics to co-exist. We aimed to quantify such partitioning in Antarctic fur seals, Arctocephalus gazella , breeding at South Georgia, which...
Published in: | Scientific Reports |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
2020
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59992-3 http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59992-3.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59992-3 |
id |
crspringernat:10.1038/s41598-020-59992-3 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crspringernat:10.1038/s41598-020-59992-3 2023-05-15T14:08:42+02:00 Intra-specific Niche Partitioning in Antarctic Fur Seals, Arctocephalus gazella Jones, Kayleigh A. Ratcliffe, Norman Votier, Stephen C. Newton, Jason Forcada, Jaume Dickens, John Stowasser, Gabriele Staniland, Iain J. 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59992-3 http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59992-3.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59992-3 en eng Springer Science and Business Media LLC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 CC-BY Scientific Reports volume 10, issue 1 ISSN 2045-2322 Multidisciplinary journal-article 2020 crspringernat https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59992-3 2022-01-04T16:19:24Z Abstract Competition for resources within a population can lead to niche partitioning between sexes, throughout ontogeny and among individuals, allowing con-specifics to co-exist. We aimed to quantify such partitioning in Antarctic fur seals, Arctocephalus gazella , breeding at South Georgia, which hosts ~95% of the world’s population. Whiskers were collected from 20 adult males and 20 adult females and stable isotope ratios were quantified every 5 mm along the length of each whisker. Nitrogen isotope ratios (δ 15 N) were used as proxies for trophic position and carbon isotope ratios (δ 13 C) indicated foraging habitat. Sexual segregation was evident: δ 13 C values were significantly lower in males than females, indicating males spent more time foraging south of the Polar Front in maritime Antarctica. In males δ 13 C values declined with age, suggesting males spent more time foraging south throughout ontogeny. In females δ 13 C values revealed two main foraging strategies: 70% of females spent most time foraging south of the Polar Front and had similar δ 15 N values to males, while 30% of females spent most time foraging north of the Polar Front and had significantly higher δ 15 N values. This niche partitioning may relax competition and ultimately elevate population carrying capacity with implications for ecology, evolution and conservation. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seals Antarctica Arctocephalus gazella Springer Nature (via Crossref) Antarctic Scientific Reports 10 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Springer Nature (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
crspringernat |
language |
English |
topic |
Multidisciplinary |
spellingShingle |
Multidisciplinary Jones, Kayleigh A. Ratcliffe, Norman Votier, Stephen C. Newton, Jason Forcada, Jaume Dickens, John Stowasser, Gabriele Staniland, Iain J. Intra-specific Niche Partitioning in Antarctic Fur Seals, Arctocephalus gazella |
topic_facet |
Multidisciplinary |
description |
Abstract Competition for resources within a population can lead to niche partitioning between sexes, throughout ontogeny and among individuals, allowing con-specifics to co-exist. We aimed to quantify such partitioning in Antarctic fur seals, Arctocephalus gazella , breeding at South Georgia, which hosts ~95% of the world’s population. Whiskers were collected from 20 adult males and 20 adult females and stable isotope ratios were quantified every 5 mm along the length of each whisker. Nitrogen isotope ratios (δ 15 N) were used as proxies for trophic position and carbon isotope ratios (δ 13 C) indicated foraging habitat. Sexual segregation was evident: δ 13 C values were significantly lower in males than females, indicating males spent more time foraging south of the Polar Front in maritime Antarctica. In males δ 13 C values declined with age, suggesting males spent more time foraging south throughout ontogeny. In females δ 13 C values revealed two main foraging strategies: 70% of females spent most time foraging south of the Polar Front and had similar δ 15 N values to males, while 30% of females spent most time foraging north of the Polar Front and had significantly higher δ 15 N values. This niche partitioning may relax competition and ultimately elevate population carrying capacity with implications for ecology, evolution and conservation. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jones, Kayleigh A. Ratcliffe, Norman Votier, Stephen C. Newton, Jason Forcada, Jaume Dickens, John Stowasser, Gabriele Staniland, Iain J. |
author_facet |
Jones, Kayleigh A. Ratcliffe, Norman Votier, Stephen C. Newton, Jason Forcada, Jaume Dickens, John Stowasser, Gabriele Staniland, Iain J. |
author_sort |
Jones, Kayleigh A. |
title |
Intra-specific Niche Partitioning in Antarctic Fur Seals, Arctocephalus gazella |
title_short |
Intra-specific Niche Partitioning in Antarctic Fur Seals, Arctocephalus gazella |
title_full |
Intra-specific Niche Partitioning in Antarctic Fur Seals, Arctocephalus gazella |
title_fullStr |
Intra-specific Niche Partitioning in Antarctic Fur Seals, Arctocephalus gazella |
title_full_unstemmed |
Intra-specific Niche Partitioning in Antarctic Fur Seals, Arctocephalus gazella |
title_sort |
intra-specific niche partitioning in antarctic fur seals, arctocephalus gazella |
publisher |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59992-3 http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59992-3.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59992-3 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seals Antarctica Arctocephalus gazella |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seals Antarctica Arctocephalus gazella |
op_source |
Scientific Reports volume 10, issue 1 ISSN 2045-2322 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59992-3 |
container_title |
Scientific Reports |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766280722970050560 |