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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 9, 2026

Fatty Acid 13C Isotopologue Profiling Provides Insight into Trophic Carbon Transfer and Lipid Metabolism of Invertebrate Consumers

Fatty Acid 13C Isotopologue Profiling Provides Insight into Trophic Carbon Transfer and Lipid Metabolism of Invertebrate Consumers

Published on: April 17, 2018

Isotopic niches support the resource breadth hypothesis.

Jonathan A Rader¹, Seth D Newsome², Pablo Sabat^3,4

¹Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA.

The Journal of Animal Ecology

|December 23, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Species with broader diets and habitats tend to have larger geographic ranges. This study in South American birds confirms the resource breadth hypothesis using stable isotope analysis.

Keywords:

Cinclodes Furnariidae isotopic niche niche evolution resource breadth hypothesis stable isotope analysis

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Macroecology
Bio-geography

Background:

The resource breadth hypothesis proposes a positive relationship between resource diversity and geographic range size.
Species utilizing a wide array of resources can inhabit diverse environments, leading to broader distributions.

Purpose of the Study:

To test the isotopic version of the resource breadth hypothesis in South American birds of the genus Cinclodes.
To investigate the correlation between isotopic niche breadth and species morphology.

Main Methods:

Analysis of feather stable isotopes (hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen) from 12 Cinclodes species.
Quantification of isotopic niche width to estimate resource and habitat breadth.
Correlation analysis between isotopic niche width and wing morphology.

Main Results:

A positive correlation was found between elevational range breadth (H and O isotopes) and resource/habitat diversity (C and N isotopes).
Broader isotopic niches were positively correlated with wing morphology.
The study supports the resource breadth hypothesis.

Conclusions:

Stable isotope analysis is a valuable tool for exploring ecological niches and macroecological patterns.
The findings highlight the importance of scientific collections for ecological research.