The ecology of modern and fossil vertebrates revisited by lithium isotopes

Thibon, Fanny; Goedert, Jean; Séon, Nicolas; Weppe, Lucas; Martin, Jérémy E.; Amiot, Romain; Adnet, Sylvain; Lambert, Olivier; Bustamante, Paco; Lécuyer, Christophe; Vigier, Nathalie

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117840

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 56 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Stable isotope analyses of bioapatite minerals that constitute the skeletons of vertebrates have been widely used to investigate the ecology of fossil taxa (e.g., Martin et al, 2017). More recently, some isotopic systems proved to be of particular interest to trace the salinity of the living aquatic environment of vertebrates (Goedert et al, 2018;Goedert et al, 2020;Thibon et al, 2022). Here, we analyzed the stable carbon and oxygen isotope compositions of structural carbonate (d 13 C c and d 18 O c ), the stable oxygen isotope composition of phosphate (d 18 O p ) and the stable sulfur isotope composition (d 34 S) of bioapatite of Odontochelys in order to investigate its ecology in terms of feeding behavior and living environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-isotopic analysis reveals the early stem turtle Odontochelys as a nearshore herbivorous forager

Goedert,

Amiot,

Anquetin

et al. 2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionAfter decades of debate on the origin of turtles, it is now widely accepted that they are diapsid reptiles originating in the Permian from a terrestrial ancestor. It seems that the initial development of the structures that will later form the unique turtle bony shell took place as a response to a fossorial lifestyle. However, the earliest stem turtle with a fully complete plastron, Odontochelys semitestacea from the Late Triassic (lower Carnian) of China, is somewhat controversially interpreted as an aquatic or even a marine form, raising the question of the environment in which the completion of the plastron happened.MethodsHere, we analyzed the stable carbon, oxygen and sulfur isotope compositions (δ13C, δ18O and δ34S) of bones from two specimens of Odontochelys along with bones and teeth of two associated specimens of the marine ichthyosaur Guizhouichthyosaurus tangae.Results and discussionWe first show that δ18O values of Odontochelys are incompatible with a terrestrial lifestyle and imply a semi-aquatic to aquatic lifestyle. Isotopic results also demonstrate that the aquatic environment of Odontochelys was submitted to a strong marine influence, therefore excluding the possibility of a strict freshwater aquatic environment. Additionally, an unusual carbon isotope composition shows that O. semitestacea was herbivorous, probably consuming macrophytic algae in coastal zones like the extant green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) or the marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) do.

show abstract