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Updated: Mar 5, 2026

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Isotopic niche partitioning between two apex predators over time.

Massimiliano Drago1, Luis Cardona2, Valentina Franco-Trecu3

  • 1Departamento de Ecología & Evolución, Centro Universitario Regional Este (CURE), Universidad de la República, Tacuarembó s/n, 20000, Maldonado, Uruguay.

The Journal of Animal Ecology
|March 23, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Stable isotope analysis reveals South American fur seals and sea lions had distinct diets historically. Their isotopic niches converged recently due to fur seals relying more on demersal prey, influenced by prey availability and fishing.

Keywords:
marine mammalspinnipedsstable isotopesstandard ellipse areatrophic ecology

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Area of Science:

  • Marine Ecology
  • Paleoecology
  • Isotope Geochemistry

Background:

  • Stable isotope analysis is crucial for understanding marine food webs and predator-prey dynamics.
  • South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) and sea lions (Otaria flavescens) are sympatric otariids with distinct morphologies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reconstruct and compare the isotopic niches of South American fur seals and sea lions over time.
  • To investigate dietary shifts and resource partitioning between these two species.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in bone collagen from modern and Holocene samples.
  • Comparison of isotopic niches to infer dietary habits and trophic relationships.

Main Results:

  • Distinct isotopic niches were observed between fur seals and sea lions during the middle Holocene.
  • Isotopic niche segregation decreased over the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
  • Fur seals increasingly consumed demersal prey, leading to niche convergence.

Conclusions:

  • The convergence of isotopic niches is likely driven by increased reliance on demersal prey by fur seals.
  • Factors such as reduced sea lion populations and fishing impacts on fish size likely contributed to dietary shifts.