Multiple isotope tracers in fur keratin discriminate between mothers and offspring ...

• Main Authors: Kravchenko, Kseniia A., Lehnert, Linn S., Vlaschenko, Anton S., Voigt, Christian C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2019
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Chordata; Animalia; bats; bat; Nyctalus noctula
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13447220; https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.13447220

(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) Methods: During the post‐lactation period, we collected fur of juvenile and female common noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) from the same maternity roost. Using a combination of elemental analysis and stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry, we measured the hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in fur keratin. The hydrogen isotope ratios were measured for the non‐exchangeable portion of hydrogen in keratin. The derived isotopic niches and isoscape origin models were compared between mothers and juveniles. Results: The fur keratin of juveniles was enriched by 1.6‰ in 15N and depleted by 2.9‰ in 13C compared with that of the mothers. In addition, the hydrogen isotope ratios were 13.4‰ lower in the fur keratin of juveniles than in that of mothers. The estimated isotopic niches of nursing females and juveniles were not overlapping and differed in size. Overall, the isoscape origin models projected juveniles as being from a more northern origin than the ...