Retrospective characterization of ontogenetic shifts in killer whale diets via δ13C and δ15N analysis of teeth

Newsome, Seth D.; Etnier, Michael A.; Monson, Daniel H.; Fogel, Marilyn L.

doi:10.3354/meps07747

Cited by 117 publications

(143 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…They are documented in a number of marine mammal species including killer whales (Newsome et al 2009), sea lions (Hobson & Sease 1998, Drago et al 2009, Orr et al 2011, sperm whales (Mendes et al 2007) and bottlenose dolphins (Knoff et al 2008). Considering that the diet of bowhead whales is composed primarily of zooplankton (Finley 2001, Lowry et al 2004, Pomerleau et al 2011b), a very small prey relative to the size of the predator, bowhead whales might not adhere to this pattern.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prey assemblage isotopic variability as a tool for assessing diet and the spatial distribution of bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus foraging in the Canadian eastern Arctic

Pomerleau¹,

Lesage²,

Ferguson³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prey assemblage isotopic variability as a tool for assessing diet and the spatial distribution of bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus foraging in the Canadian eastern Arctic

Pomerleau¹,

Lesage²,

Ferguson³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Although not well established, differences in stable isotopic composition in females may arise due to pregnancy or nursing (Newsome et al 2010). Also, a few studies have found important ontogenic differences in isotopic composition, mainly in the isotopic fractionation between young and adult specimens (Newsome et al 2009(Newsome et al , 2010. Based on total length, most of the specimens analyzed in this study were adults, apart from one dead Guiana calf collected in the estuarine area.…”

Section: Samples Collectionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Use of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes to study the feeding ecology of small coastal cetacean populations in southern Brazil

et al. 2013

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of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes to study the feeding ecology of small coastal cetacean populations in southern Brazil. Biota Neotrop. 13(4): http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v13n4/en/abstract?article+bn01413042013Abstract: Samples from individuals of the populations of Sotalia guianensis (Guiana) and Pontoporia blainvillei (Franciscana) dolphins living in the Babitonga Bay estuary (26° 28' S/48° 50' W), and samples from individuals of a second population of P. blainvillei from a nearshore area (26° 38' S/48° 41' W), were collected and analyzed along with their prey between 2000 and 2006, to determine the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios and to verify differences in their feeding ecology. No differences were found in the median ð 15 N values of Guiana (15.2‰) and Franciscana (15.9‰) dolphins living in Babitonga Bay, nor of nearshore Franciscana (15.0‰) individuals, suggesting no variation in the trophic level of these populations. However, the lack of more information on the isotopic compositions of their putative prey in the nearshore areas prevents the ability to draw definitive conclusions on this issue. The estuarine Franciscana and Guiana dolphin populations presented mean ð 13 C values of approximately -15.7‰, which were not statistically different from nearshore Franciscana individuals (-14.8‰). Based on stomach content analyses of these species from a previous study, it was reported that there was little overlap in the diet of estuarine Franciscanas and Guiana dolphins. However, based on the similarity of the ð 13 C values between these two species and of their putative prey, it appears that in fact there is an overlap in the diet of these two species. Based solely on stable isotope analysis, it was not possible to differentiate between estuarine and nearshore Franciscana populations, making it difficult to conclude whether captured nearshore specimens were indeed yearlong residents of these areas. Finally, this study suggests that Franciscana and Guiana dolphin populations are sharing the same resources, mostly L. brevis, D. rhombeus, and S. rastrifer. Therefore, the combination of resource sharing and commercial exploitation of their prey makes these two cetacean species vulnerable. Keywords: Pontoporia blainvillei, Sotalia guianensis, Babitonga Bay, feeding ecology, trophic level.HARDT, F.A.S., CREMER, M.J., TONELLO JUNIOR, A.J., BELLANTE, A., BUFFA, G., BUSCAINO, G., MAZZOLA, S., BARRETO, A.S., MARTINELLI, L.A. & ZUPPI, G.M. O uso dos isótopos estáveis de carbono e nitrogênio para o estudo da ecologia de populações de pequenos cetáceos costeiros no sul do Brasil. Biota Neotrop. 13(4): http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v13n4/pt/abstract?article+bn01413042013Resumo: Amostras de tecido de indivíduos pertencentes às populações de Sotalia guianensis (boto-cinza) e Pontoporia blainvillei (toninha) que vivem no estuário da Baía da Babitonga (26° 28' S/48° 50' W) e de uma segunda população de P. blainvillei da área costeira (26° 38' S/48° 41' W) foram coletadas entre os anos 2000 e 2006 para ...

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“…We only included bone collagen and tooth dentin from animals estimated, based on size to be older than the post-weaning age of 4 years [35] and avoided sampling the enamel crown and outer dentin growth layers deposited during nursing. Nitrogen and carbon isotope analyses were performed simultaneously using continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry under the same conditions and degree of accuracy as reference [30].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Measurement of isotopic values from different growth layers within a tooth may provide an indicator of within-individual variation, e.g. [35]. In the absence of this within-individual data, we refer to these among-individual differences in the long-term mean uptake of prey items, inferred from differences in isotopic niche, as relative specialization.…”

Section: (B) Mitogenome Sequencing and Phylogenetic Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking niche variation over millennial timescales in sympatric killer whale lineages

Foote

Newton²,

Ávila-Arcos

et al. 2013

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Niche variation owing to individual differences in ecology has been hypothesized to be an early stage of sympatric speciation. Yet to date, no study has tracked niche width over more than a few generations. In this study, we show the presence of isotopic niche variation over millennial timescales and investigate the evolutionary outcomes. Isotopic ratios were measured from tissue samples of sympatric killer whale Orcinus orca lineages from the North Sea, spanning over 10 000 years. Isotopic ratios spanned a range similar to the difference in isotopic values of two known prey items, herring Clupea harengus and harbour seal Phoca vitulina. Two proxies of the stage of speciation, lineage sorting of mitogenomes and genotypic clustering, were both weak to intermediate indicating that speciation has made little progress. Thus, our study confirms that even with the necessary ecological conditions, i.e. among-individual variation in ecology, it is difficult for sympatric speciation to progress in the face of gene flow. In contrast to some theoretical models, our empirical results suggest that sympatric speciation driven by among-individual differences in ecological niche is a slow process and may not reach completion. We argue that sympatric speciation is constrained in this system owing to the plastic nature of the behavioural traits under selection when hunting either mammals or fish.

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Retrospective characterization of ontogenetic shifts in killer whale diets via δ13C and δ15N analysis of teeth

Cited by 117 publications

References 71 publications

Prey assemblage isotopic variability as a tool for assessing diet and the spatial distribution of bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus foraging in the Canadian eastern Arctic

Prey assemblage isotopic variability as a tool for assessing diet and the spatial distribution of bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus foraging in the Canadian eastern Arctic

Use of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes to study the feeding ecology of small coastal cetacean populations in southern Brazil

Tracking niche variation over millennial timescales in sympatric killer whale lineages

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