Amino acid nitrogen isotope values of penguins from the Antarctic Peninsula region 1930s to 2010s

• Main Authors: Mcmahon, Kelton, Polito, Michael
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) Data Center 2019
• Subjects: Amino Acids; Nitrogen Isotopes; isotope data; Penguins; Stable Isotope Analysis; Biology; Biosphere; Cryosphere; Oceans; Antarctica; Southern Ocean; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; McMahon; Antarc*; Pygoscelis antarctica; Pygoscelis papua
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.15784/601232; http://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601232

This data set contains measurements of nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope values of twelve individual amino acids from breast feathers of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) and chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) collected from museum archives between the 1930s and 2010s. Stable isotope analyses were conducted using a gas chromatograph coupled to a continuous flow stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer. The data set also includes trophic positions of penguins calculated from individual amino acid δ15N values. The data set indexes each individual penguin with species, collection institution, catalog number, sex, locality, latitude, longitude, year of sample collection, nitrogen isotope ratios, and calculated trophic position. Details of the data set and all relevant methods are provided in McMahon et al. 2020 Proc Natl Acad Sci DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1913093116