globalchange  > 过去全球变化的重建
DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.06.003
论文题名:
Stable carbon isotope ecology of small mammals from the Sterkfontein Valley: Implications for habitat reconstruction
作者: Leichliter J.; Sandberg P.; Passey B.; Codron D.; Avenant N.; Paine O.C.C.; Codron J.; de Ruiter D.; Sponheimer M.
刊名: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
ISSN: 0031-0182
出版年: 2017
语种: 英语
英文关键词: Enamel ; Hominin evolution ; Owl roost ; Paleoenvironment ; Plio-Pleistocene ; Rodents ; Southern Africa
英文摘要: Carbon isotope analyses of tooth enamel have been widely employed by paleoecologists to understand past habitats. Most such studies use large- to medium-bodied mammals and exclude small taxa. However, analysis of fossil small mammals holds promise for resolving questions about past environments because these animals are often present in the fossil record (especially in South African cave sites), are diverse in dietary and habitat preference, yet have limited lifespans and home range sizes. Thus, the carbon isotope compositions of small mammal communities and/or species might reflect the composition of vegetation in local environments at fine scales.In this study, we assessed the degree to which carbon isotope compositions of small mammal tooth enamel record spatial changes in habitat in a southern African savanna environment. Modern small mammal specimens were collected from the pellet accumulations of three barn owl (Tyto alba africanus) roosts located within microhabitats varying from open grassland to mixed woodland. We examined rodent carbon isotope compositions within taxa, between taxa, and between tooth types in an effort to characterize variation within this group. We also compared rodent community δ13Cenamel composition between microhabitat types to evaluate how well small mammal isotope data reflect vegetation composition local to the roosts. Our analyses suggest that the relationship between small mammal community carbon isotopic means and vegetation composition is complex, but that with appropriate taxonomic control and consideration of relative abundance, small mammals have potential as a proxy for reconstructing past habitats at fine scales.To complement this modern study, we performed isotopic analysis of the enamel of small mammals from three hominin-bearing sites in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, South Africa. Our results suggest a greater contribution of C4 resources to the diets of small mammals and likely more C4 grass in the past than occurs today. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.
Citation statistics:
资源类型: 期刊论文
标识符: http://119.78.100.158/handle/2HF3EXSE/68122
Appears in Collections:过去全球变化的重建

Files in This Item:

There are no files associated with this item.


作者单位: Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Archaeology Division, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, 2401 Chautauqua Avenue, Norman, OK 73072-7029, USA; Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Florisbad Quaternary Research Department, National Museum, PO Box 266, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa; Department of Mammalogy, National Museum, PO Box 266, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa; Department of Anthropology, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA

Recommended Citation:
Leichliter J.,Sandberg P.,Passey B.,et al. Stable carbon isotope ecology of small mammals from the Sterkfontein Valley: Implications for habitat reconstruction[J]. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology,2017-01-01
Service
Recommend this item
Sava as my favorate item
Show this item's statistics
Export Endnote File
Google Scholar
Similar articles in Google Scholar
[Leichliter J.]'s Articles
[Sandberg P.]'s Articles
[Passey B.]'s Articles
百度学术
Similar articles in Baidu Scholar
[Leichliter J.]'s Articles
[Sandberg P.]'s Articles
[Passey B.]'s Articles
CSDL cross search
Similar articles in CSDL Cross Search
[Leichliter J.]‘s Articles
[Sandberg P.]‘s Articles
[Passey B.]‘s Articles
Related Copyright Policies
Null
收藏/分享
所有评论 (0)
暂无评论
 

Items in IR are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.