Avian embryonic development does not change the stable isotope composition of the calcite eggshell

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 339 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Maurer ◽  
S. J. Portugal ◽  
I. Boomer ◽  
P. Cassey

The avian embryo resorbs most of the calcium for bone formation from the calcite eggshell but the exact mechanisms of the resorption are unknown. The present study tested whether this process results in variable fractionation of the oxygen and carbon isotopes in shell calcium carbonate, which could provide a detailed insight into the temporal and spatial use of the eggshell by the developing embryo. Despite the uncertainty regarding changes in stable isotope composition of the eggshell across developmental stages or regions of the shell, eggshells are a popular resource for the analysis of historic and extant trophic relationships. To clarify how the stable isotope composition varies with embryonic development, the δ13C and δ18O content of the carbonate fraction in shells of black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus) eggs were sampled at four different stages of embryonic development and at five eggshell regions. No consistent relationship between the stable isotope composition of the eggshell and embryonic development, shell region or maculation was observed, although shell thickness decreased with development in all shell regions. By contrast, individual eggs differed significantly in isotope composition. These results establish that eggshells can be used to investigate a species’ carbon and oxygen sources, regardless of the egg’s developmental stage.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e82205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Lemos Bisi ◽  
Paulo Renato Dorneles ◽  
José Lailson-Brito ◽  
Gilles Lepoint ◽  
Alexandre de Freitas Azevedo ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan C. McKellar ◽  
Emma Jones ◽  
Michael S. Engel ◽  
Ralf Tappert ◽  
Alexander P. Wolfe ◽  
...  

AbstractHadrosaurian dinosaurs were abundant in the Late Cretaceous of North America, but their habitats remain poorly understood. Cretaceous amber is also relatively abundant, yet it is seldom found in direct stratigraphic association with dinosaur remains. Here we describe an unusually large amber specimen attached to a Prosaurolophus jaw, which reveals details of the contemporaneous paleoforest and entomofauna. Fourier-transform Infrared spectroscopy and stable isotope composition (H and C) suggest the amber formed from resins exuded by cupressaceous conifers occupying a coastal plain. An aphid within the amber belongs to Cretamyzidae, a Cretaceous family suggested to bark-feed on conifers. Distinct tooth row impressions on the amber match the hadrosaur’s alveolar bone ridges, providing some insight into the taphonomic processes that brought these remains together.


2019 ◽  
Vol 98 ◽  
pp. 07013
Author(s):  
Thomas Kretzschmar ◽  
Matteo Lelli ◽  
Ruth Alfaro ◽  
Juan Ignacio Sanchez ◽  
Yann Rene Ramos

It is important to develop a regional hydrogeological model to identify possible recharge and discharge areas for a sustainable use of a geothermal reservoir. The Los Humeros geothermal area is situated within five surficial watersheds and coveres an area of more than 15.000 km2. A total of 208 well and spring samples were collected between June 2017 and November 2018. The stable isotope data for this region define a regression line of δDH2O = 8.032·δ18O + 12 and indicate that groundwater is recharged by regional precipitation. At least 39 groundwater wells, with a maximum temperature of 35 °C, show temperatures above the reported mean average surface temperature of 15 °C. Characteristic elements for geothermal reservoir fluids (B, Li, As) are also present in these groundwaters, indicating a possible connection between the reservoir fluid and the local groundwater through local fracture systems. Concentration of B in these hot wells is between 150 and 35000 ppb.


2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (14) ◽  
pp. 1937-1942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bojlul Bahar ◽  
Frank J. Monahan ◽  
Aidan P. Moloney ◽  
Padraig O'Kiely ◽  
Charlie M. Scrimgeour ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 523 ◽  
pp. 781-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Skrzypek ◽  
Adam Mydłowski ◽  
Shawan Dogramaci ◽  
Paul Hedley ◽  
John J. Gibson ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document