CONTRIBUTION OF COLLAGEN STABLE ISOTOPE BIOGEOCHEMISTRY TO THE PALEOBIOLOGY OF EXTINCT ENDEMIC VERTEBRATES FROM TENERIFE (CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN)*

The paleodiet and paleoenvironmental context of two extinct species from Tenerife island, one giant rat Canariomys bravoi and one giant lizard Gallotia goliath, have been investigated using carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of fossil bone collagen. Preliminary to this study, a calibration of...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: J. Castanetd
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2002
Subjects:
Rattus rattus
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.511.1155
http://www.urgeschichte.uni-tuebingen.de/fileadmin/downloads/weitere_Mitarbeiter/Bocherens/Bocherens03_IEHS.pdf
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Summary:The paleodiet and paleoenvironmental context of two extinct species from Tenerife island, one giant rat Canariomys bravoi and one giant lizard Gallotia goliath, have been investigated using carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of fossil bone collagen. Preliminary to this study, a calibration of the isotopic variations of bone collagen from modern Rat Rattus rattus, Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus and Lizard Gallotia galotti relative to environmental conditions on Tenerife Islands has been attempted. No clear relationship could be found between collagen d13C and d15N values and aridity; the only relevant factors seem to be seashore proximity for rat, and the relative amount of C3 and CAM plants. It seems that anthropic activities have interfered with the expected relationships between collagen isotopic compositions and environmental conditions. Most fossil specimens yielded well preserved collagen. The isotopic composition of giant rat and giant lizard collagen suggest a purely C3 environment, possibly more humid than today on Tenerife. Large ranges of nitrogen isotopic compositions, especially within giant rats, may be due to local environmental conditions. Further work is needed in order to provide more valuable paleobiological information in order to better understand the role of environmental factors in the evolution and extinction of insular endemic species on Tenerife.

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