Reconstructing the diet, trophic level and migration pattern of mysticete whales based on baleen isotopic composition.

ABSTRACT: Baleen from mysticete whales is a well-preserved proteinaceous material that can be used to identify migrations and feeding habits for species whose migration pathways are unknown. Analysis of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values from bulk baleen have been used to infer migration patterns for individuals. However, this approach has fallen short of identifying migrations between regions as it is difficult to determine variations in isotopic shifts without temporal sampling of prey items. Here, we apply analysis of δ¹⁵N values of amino acids to five baleen plates belonging to three species, revealing novel insights on trophic position, metabolic state and migration between regions. Humpback and minke whales had higher reconstructed trophic levels than fin whales (3.7-3.8 ver

SUBMITTER: Riekenberg PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8652277 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature