Oxygen isotopes in orangutan teeth reveal recent and ancient climate variation.

ABSTRACT: Studies of climate variation commonly rely on chemical and isotopic changes recorded in sequentially produced growth layers, such as in corals, shells, and tree rings, as well as in accretionary deposits-ice and sediment cores, and speleothems. Oxygen isotopic compositions (δ¹⁸O) of tooth enamel are a direct method of reconstructing environmental variation experienced by an individual animal. Here, we utilize long-forming orangutan dentitions (Pongo spp.) to probe recent and ancient rainfall trends on a weekly basis over ~3-11 years per individual. We first demonstrate the lack of any consistent isotopic enrichment effect during exclusive nursing, supporting the use of primate first molar teeth as environmental proxies. Comparisons of δ¹⁸O values (n=2016) in tw

SUBMITTER: Smith TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10942278 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature