THE DIETS OF MODERN AND HISTORIC BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN POPULATIONS REFLECTED THROUGH STABLE ISOTOPES

The δ13C and δ15N compositions of teeth used in combination with existing data provide dietary information for different populations of western North Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The dental isotopic signatures of bottlenose dolphins collected during the 1980s significantly diff...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine mammal science 1999-04, Vol.15 (2), p.335-350
Main Authors: Walker, Jane L., Potter, Charles W., Macko, Stephen A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
bottlenose dolphin
carbon isotopes
diet
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Mammalia
nitrogen isotopes
Tursiops truncatus
Vertebrata
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Summary:The δ13C and δ15N compositions of teeth used in combination with existing data provide dietary information for different populations of western North Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The dental isotopic signatures of bottlenose dolphins collected during the 1980s significantly differ for coastal and offshore ecotypes and are consistent with reports that coastal forms feed primarily on fish whereas offshore individuals consume more squid. In a second study, the isotopic compositions of teeth from bottlenose dolphins that span a 100‐yr period and data from published stomach content analyses as well as field observations made during the past 100 yr provide evidence that coastal bottlenose dolphins from the 1880s, 1920s, and 1980s had similar diets.
ISSN:0824-0469
1748-7692
DOI:10.1111/j.1748-7692.1999.tb00805.x