Late Quaternary millennial-scale stability of the feeding strategy of the gray brocket deer [Subulo gouazoubira(G. Fisher, 1814); Mammalia] in Southeastern Brazil

Abstract

There is limited evidence, both contemporary and archaeological/paleontological, regarding the feeding ecology of the gray brocket deer (Subulo gouazoubira) in Brazil's Cerrado biome. Using stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope analyses of dental enamel bioapatite from individuals recovered from Cuvieri Cave, Minas Gerais, we explore dietary and environmental changes between the Late Pleistocene and Holocene epochs in this biome. The average Pleistocene δ13C was -10.9±1.7‰ and δ18Odw was -7.9±0.4‰, while Holocene individuals averaged a δ13C of -10.5±1.2‰ and δ18Odw of -5.8±0.9‰. The δ13C data suggest no significant shift in feeding strategy between the Late Pleistocene and Holocene, with both sets of individuals displaying δ13C values consistent with browsing in environments other than closed canopy forests. However, δ18Odw values indicate an approximate temperature increase of 3.5°C between the two epochs and/or a reduction in precipitation. This study highlights the stability in the feeding behavior of the gray brocket deer despite biotic and abiotic changes between the epochs.