Paleozoological stable isotope data for modern management of historically extirpated Missouri black bears (Ursus americanus)

Abstract

Human population growth and intensification of resource extraction during the 19th century changed the American landscape. Deforestation, residential sprawl and hunting activities impacted the behavior and sometimes the existence of native species. By the early 1900s, North American black bears (Ursus americanus) were extirpated from Missouri. Modern efforts to restore this species to the region are guided by the assumption that extant extra-local black bear ecology accurately depicts native Missouri ursid ecology. Paleozoological data provide the only means to test this assumption. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of skeletal remains of ten late Holocene black bears from Lawson Cave in central Missouri reveals three aspects of native black bear diet: 1) Lawson Cave black bears are isotopically distinct from herbivores and carnivores; 2) There is no clear trend in black bear diet over the past 600 years; and 3) Lawson Cave black bear diet is not significantly different from that of modern black bears. Native Missouri black bears, as reflected by the Lawson Cave ursids, are no different from extra-local modern black bears in terms of diet. Therefore, these ecological data can be applied to future management and conservation planning regarding Missouri black bears by indicating appropriate regions (which can support the resourceuse habits of black bears) for relocation programs.

Comparison of fluoride and direct AMS radiocarbon dating of black bear bone from Lawson Cave, Missouri

“…Numerous faunal remains were collected from Lawson Cave in the 1950s (Wells 1959). The most abundantly represented taxon is the North American black bear (Ursus americanus) (Hudson 2009;Rosania 2010;Wolverton 1996Wolverton , 2001Wolverton , 2006Wolverton and Lyman 1998). Ten individual bears are represented by 10 right femora, several left femora, and numerous other bones and teeth.…”

Assessing the diet of modern and archaeological guanacos from the Great Chaco in Córdoba, Argentina, through stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N) of bone and dentin collagen: Implications for paleoenvironmental and zooarchaeological studies

“…Particularly, stable isotope analysis provides a proxy of past spatial distribution and dietary habits, standing as a useful tool for the recovery, restoration, and conservation of certain species (e.g. Barberena et al, 2011;Newsome et al, 2007;Rosania, 2012;Scheifler et al, 2023). In this sense, future studies should evaluate the potential interspecific competition between modern guanacos and livestock and its effects on diet (e.g.…”

Applications of Stable Isotope Analysis in Zooarchaeology: An Introduction

“…Other examples include evaluating dietary shifts of predatory birds from the Pleistocene to the historical period in North America, such as the California condor ( Gymnogyps californianus , Chamberlain et al ., ) and bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus , Newsome et al ., ). In a recent paper, Rosania () provides tools for decision making and the reestablishment of the black bear ( Ursus americanus ) in Missouri from the characterization of the diet of this species. In an analogous marine case, Newsome et al .…”