Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Resolving temporal variation in vertebrate diets using naturally occurring stable isotopes.

F Dalerum1, A Angerbjörn

  • 1Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden. fredrik.dalerum@zoologi.su.se

Oecologia
|July 26, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Stable isotope analysis reveals temporal diet variations in vertebrates. Comparing tissues over time, by metabolic rate, or through growth sections offers insights into dietary ecology.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Stable isotopes and the metabolism of the European cave bear.

Oecologia·2017
Same author

Network topology of stable isotope interactions in a sub-arctic raptor guild.

Oecologia·2016
Same author

The fall and rise of the Icelandic Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus): a 50-year demographic study on a non-cyclic Arctic fox population.

Oecologia·2016
Same author

Functional responses of the rough-legged buzzard in a multi-prey system.

Oecologia·2014
Same author

Phylogenetic and functional diversity in large carnivore assemblages.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2013
Same author

Non-invasive monitoring of glucocorticoid metabolites in brown hyaena (Hyaena brunnea) feces.

Zoo biology·2011

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Zoology
  • Biogeochemistry

Background:

  • Understanding temporal diet variation is crucial for vertebrate ecology.
  • Stable isotope ratios in animal tissues provide dietary information based on source elements and tissue-specific fractionation.
  • Existing methods offer ways to analyze dietary shifts over time.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and present three distinct approaches for resolving temporal diet variation using stable isotope analysis.
  • To highlight the importance of tissue-specific metabolic rates and isotopic fractionation in these analyses.
  • To identify knowledge gaps and suggest future research directions.

Main Methods:

  • Comparison of samples from the same tissue type collected over time.
  • Comparison of tissues with different metabolic rates reflecting different assimilation periods.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of progressive growth tissues (e.g., hair, feathers) retaining chronological isotopic values.

    • Main Results:

    • Three primary methods for stable isotope-based temporal diet analysis were identified.
    • Tissue metabolic rates are critical for interpreting dietary records across different tissues.
    • Fractionation estimates are essential for accurate source and tissue comparisons.

    Conclusions:

    • Stable isotope analysis offers robust methods for studying dietary ecology over various timescales.
    • Further laboratory research on assimilation, fractionation, and metabolic routing is needed.
    • Expanded studies on reptiles, amphibians, and multi-tissue analyses are encouraged.