The palaeoenvironmental δ13C record in European woolly mammoth tooth enamel

L. Arppe; Kim Aaris-Sørensen; L. Daugnora; L. Lõugas; P. Wojtal; I. Zupiņš

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.10.018

The palaeoenvironmental δ¹³C record in European woolly mammoth tooth enamel

L. Arppe, Kim Aaris-Sørensen, L. Daugnora, L. Lõugas, P. Wojtal, I. Zupiņš

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C) of tooth enamel of woolly mammoth molars from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark and southern Poland was analysed and the data were complemented with previously published δ¹³C values from Sweden, Finland and northwestern Russia, Switzerland and Britain. The δ¹³C values display a NE- to SW-trending geographical pattern, with more depleted compositions in the northeast, suggesting differences in the diet consumed by mammoths in the northeastern parts of the study area relative to mammoths in the southwesterly regions. While the pattern is probably a reflection of a number of controlling environmental parameters, with possible additional contribution from physiological factors, statistically significant correlations of the δ¹³C values to δ¹⁸O data from the same specimens and to palaeotemperature estimates imply a strong influence of climate over the δ¹³C values. The δ¹³C data do not provide convincing evidence of any temporal changes in diet.

Original language	English
Journal	Quaternary International
Volume	245
Issue number	2
Pages (from-to)	285-290
Number of pages	6
ISSN	1040-6182
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2010.10.018
Publication status	Published - 6 Dec 2011

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Cite this

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title = "The palaeoenvironmental δ13C record in European woolly mammoth tooth enamel",

abstract = "The carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of tooth enamel of woolly mammoth molars from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark and southern Poland was analysed and the data were complemented with previously published δ13C values from Sweden, Finland and northwestern Russia, Switzerland and Britain. The δ13C values display a NE- to SW-trending geographical pattern, with more depleted compositions in the northeast, suggesting differences in the diet consumed by mammoths in the northeastern parts of the study area relative to mammoths in the southwesterly regions. While the pattern is probably a reflection of a number of controlling environmental parameters, with possible additional contribution from physiological factors, statistically significant correlations of the δ13C values to δ18O data from the same specimens and to palaeotemperature estimates imply a strong influence of climate over the δ13C values. The δ13C data do not provide convincing evidence of any temporal changes in diet.",

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T1 - The palaeoenvironmental δ13C record in European woolly mammoth tooth enamel

AU - Arppe, L.

AU - Aaris-Sørensen, Kim

AU - Daugnora, L.

AU - Lõugas, L.

AU - Wojtal, P.

AU - Zupiņš, I.

PY - 2011/12/6

Y1 - 2011/12/6

N2 - The carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of tooth enamel of woolly mammoth molars from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark and southern Poland was analysed and the data were complemented with previously published δ13C values from Sweden, Finland and northwestern Russia, Switzerland and Britain. The δ13C values display a NE- to SW-trending geographical pattern, with more depleted compositions in the northeast, suggesting differences in the diet consumed by mammoths in the northeastern parts of the study area relative to mammoths in the southwesterly regions. While the pattern is probably a reflection of a number of controlling environmental parameters, with possible additional contribution from physiological factors, statistically significant correlations of the δ13C values to δ18O data from the same specimens and to palaeotemperature estimates imply a strong influence of climate over the δ13C values. The δ13C data do not provide convincing evidence of any temporal changes in diet.

AB - The carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of tooth enamel of woolly mammoth molars from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark and southern Poland was analysed and the data were complemented with previously published δ13C values from Sweden, Finland and northwestern Russia, Switzerland and Britain. The δ13C values display a NE- to SW-trending geographical pattern, with more depleted compositions in the northeast, suggesting differences in the diet consumed by mammoths in the northeastern parts of the study area relative to mammoths in the southwesterly regions. While the pattern is probably a reflection of a number of controlling environmental parameters, with possible additional contribution from physiological factors, statistically significant correlations of the δ13C values to δ18O data from the same specimens and to palaeotemperature estimates imply a strong influence of climate over the δ13C values. The δ13C data do not provide convincing evidence of any temporal changes in diet.

U2 - 10.1016/j.quaint.2010.10.018

DO - 10.1016/j.quaint.2010.10.018

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JO - Quaternary International

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