Galapagos tortoise stable isotope ecology and the 1850s Floreana Island Chelonoidis niger niger extinction.

ABSTRACT: A consequence of over 400 years of human exploitation of Galápagos tortoises (Chelonoidis niger ssp.) is the extinction of several subspecies and the decimation of others. As humans captured, killed, and/or removed tortoises for food, oil, museums, and zoos, they also colonized the archipelago resulting in the introduction of invasive plants, animals, and manipulated landscapes for farming, ranching, and infrastructure. Given current conservation and revitalization efforts for tortoises and their habitats, here we investigate nineteenth and twentieth century Galápagos tortoise dietary ecology using museum and archaeological specimens coupled with analysis of carbon (δ¹³C_collagen and δ¹³C_apatite), nitrogen (δ¹⁵N), hydrogen (δD) and oxyg

SUBMITTER: Conrad C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9789057 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature