Isotopic evidence for dietary flexibility among European Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus)
The proposed dietary pattern of extinct Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus Rosenmüller, 1794) has become controversial, as some authors have suggested that they were strictly vegetarian, whereas others maintain they were omnivores that at times ate large amounts of animal protein. We evalua...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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ftusouthflorida:oai:digitalcommons.usf.edu:kip_articles-3879 2023-08-15T12:43:15+02:00 Isotopic evidence for dietary flexibility among European Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) Robu, Marius Fortin, Jennifer Richards, Michael 2013-01-01T08:00:00Z https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/2880 https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0222 unknown Digital Commons @ University of South Florida https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/2880 https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0222 KIP Articles Stable Isotope Carbon Nitrogen Cave Bear Ursus Spelaeus Grizzly Bear Ursus Arctos Horribilis Europe Yellowstone Paleodiet text 2013 ftusouthflorida https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0222 2023-07-23T16:35:05Z The proposed dietary pattern of extinct Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus Rosenmüller, 1794) has become controversial, as some authors have suggested that they were strictly vegetarian, whereas others maintain they were omnivores that at times ate large amounts of animal protein. We evaluated these alternatives by compiling stable isotope data of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) from the bone collagen of adult European cave bears from the Late Pleistocene (Marine Isotopic Stage 3). The data include previously published analyses and additional data from the southeastern European (Carpathian) sites of Cioclovina, Muierii, Oase, and Urşilor. The cave bear isotopic values from bone collagen were compared with those from hair keratin occurring in grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis Ord, 1815) collected from 1989 to 2009 in the western United States (Yellowstone National Park). The Yellowstone bears have access to a wide diversity of plants and animals, such that their diets can range from vegetarian to carnivorous. Thus, there was considerable δ13C and δ15N variation among the grizzly bear isotopic values, and the cave bear isotopic variation was encompassed within the overall grizzly bear isotopic distribution. More importantly, the δ15N distributions, reflecting principally trophic level, were not different between the cave bears and the grizzly bears; the cave bear values are, on average, slightly higher or lower than those of the grizzly bears, depending on the criteria for inclusion in the comparisons. It is therefore no longer appropriate to view Late Pleistocene cave bears as strictly or even predominantly vegetarian but as flexible omnivores within their diverse communities. Text Ursus arctos University of South Florida St. Petersburg: Digital USFSP Canadian Journal of Zoology 91 4 227 234 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of South Florida St. Petersburg: Digital USFSP |
op_collection_id |
ftusouthflorida |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Stable Isotope Carbon Nitrogen Cave Bear Ursus Spelaeus Grizzly Bear Ursus Arctos Horribilis Europe Yellowstone Paleodiet |
spellingShingle |
Stable Isotope Carbon Nitrogen Cave Bear Ursus Spelaeus Grizzly Bear Ursus Arctos Horribilis Europe Yellowstone Paleodiet Robu, Marius Fortin, Jennifer Richards, Michael Isotopic evidence for dietary flexibility among European Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) |
topic_facet |
Stable Isotope Carbon Nitrogen Cave Bear Ursus Spelaeus Grizzly Bear Ursus Arctos Horribilis Europe Yellowstone Paleodiet |
description |
The proposed dietary pattern of extinct Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus Rosenmüller, 1794) has become controversial, as some authors have suggested that they were strictly vegetarian, whereas others maintain they were omnivores that at times ate large amounts of animal protein. We evaluated these alternatives by compiling stable isotope data of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) from the bone collagen of adult European cave bears from the Late Pleistocene (Marine Isotopic Stage 3). The data include previously published analyses and additional data from the southeastern European (Carpathian) sites of Cioclovina, Muierii, Oase, and Urşilor. The cave bear isotopic values from bone collagen were compared with those from hair keratin occurring in grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis Ord, 1815) collected from 1989 to 2009 in the western United States (Yellowstone National Park). The Yellowstone bears have access to a wide diversity of plants and animals, such that their diets can range from vegetarian to carnivorous. Thus, there was considerable δ13C and δ15N variation among the grizzly bear isotopic values, and the cave bear isotopic variation was encompassed within the overall grizzly bear isotopic distribution. More importantly, the δ15N distributions, reflecting principally trophic level, were not different between the cave bears and the grizzly bears; the cave bear values are, on average, slightly higher or lower than those of the grizzly bears, depending on the criteria for inclusion in the comparisons. It is therefore no longer appropriate to view Late Pleistocene cave bears as strictly or even predominantly vegetarian but as flexible omnivores within their diverse communities. |
format |
Text |
author |
Robu, Marius Fortin, Jennifer Richards, Michael |
author_facet |
Robu, Marius Fortin, Jennifer Richards, Michael |
author_sort |
Robu, Marius |
title |
Isotopic evidence for dietary flexibility among European Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) |
title_short |
Isotopic evidence for dietary flexibility among European Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) |
title_full |
Isotopic evidence for dietary flexibility among European Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) |
title_fullStr |
Isotopic evidence for dietary flexibility among European Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Isotopic evidence for dietary flexibility among European Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) |
title_sort |
isotopic evidence for dietary flexibility among european late pleistocene cave bears (ursus spelaeus) |
publisher |
Digital Commons @ University of South Florida |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/2880 https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0222 |
genre |
Ursus arctos |
genre_facet |
Ursus arctos |
op_source |
KIP Articles |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/2880 https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0222 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0222 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
91 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
227 |
op_container_end_page |
234 |
_version_ |
1774299300571906048 |