Taxonomy, location of origin and health status of proboscideans from Western Canada investigated using stable isotope analysis

• Published in: Journal of Quaternary Science
• Main Authors: Metcalfe, Jessica Z., Longstaffe, Fred J., Jass, Christopher N., Zazula, Grant D., Keddie, Grant
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2016
• Subjects: Canada; Herschel Island
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jqs.2849; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjqs.2849; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jqs.2849

ABSTRACT We investigated the application of stable isotope analysis of proboscidean remains (collagen in bone/dentin/cementum and structural carbonate in enamel bioapatite) for genus‐level identification of isolated specimens, assessment of geographical origins, and testing for nutritional stress. Mammoths ( Mammuthus sp.) tended to have higher δ 15 N col and lower δ 13 C col than mastodons ( Mammut americanum ), but differences were not significant in every location. Determining the genus of isolated specimens may be possible for locations and time periods with good isotopic baselines, but environmental changes can confound interpretations. For example, an Alberta proboscidean with a δ 15 N col of +1.4‰ (characteristic of mastodons) ultimately proved to be a mammoth. Its surprisingly low nitrogen isotope composition is attributable to the recently deglaciated environment it inhabited. We provided a baseline for isotopic assessment of geographical origins of isolated proboscideans in Western Canada. Bioapatite δ 13 C sc and δ 18 O sc can be used to distinguish specimens from Alberta, Klondike, Old Crow, Herschel Island and further south (e.g. Arizona, Great Lakes). Finally, we found that an Alberta mammoth with morphological evidence of nutritional stress experienced a change in diet, environment or physiology before death, but its isotopic compositions did not suggest a link to hypothesized starvation (catabolism of proteins or reliance on lipids).