狮子和豹胡须的生长速率以及稳定碳氮同位素营养歧视因子

Growth rate and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope trophic discrimination factors of lion and leopard whiskers.

作者信息

Mutirwara Ruwimbo, Radloff Frans G T, Codron Daryl

机构信息

Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, PO Box 652, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.

Florisbad Quaternary Research Department, National Museum, PO Box 266, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa.

出版信息

Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 2018 Jan 15;32(1):33-47. doi: 10.1002/rcm.8003.

DOI:10.1002/rcm.8003

PMID:28971533

Abstract

RATIONALE

Stable isotope analysis (SIA) of whiskers has been used to identify temporal feeding habits, intra-population diet variation, as well as individual dietary specialisation of marine and terrestrial carnivores. However, the potential of the method to disclose such dietary information for large wild felids is hampered by lack of information on species-specific whisker growth rates, whisker growth patterns and whisker-diet trophic discrimination factors (TDFs).

METHODS

Whisker growth rates and growth patterns were measured for four lions (Panthera leo) and one leopard (Panthera pardus) held at the National Zoological Gardens, Pretoria, South Africa. Actively growing whiskers of the felids were 'marked' four times over 185 days using C-depleted, C -based giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) meat. The periods with low δ C values, identified following serial sectioning of the regrown whiskers at 1 mm intervals and isotopic analysis, were then correlated to specific giraffe meat feeding bouts and hence growth periods. δ C and δ N whisker-diet TDFs were estimated for five lions whose diet remained consistent over multiple years.

RESULTS

The whisker growth rates of three lionesses and the leopard were similar (mean = 0.65 mm day ), despite species, sex and age differences. There was a decrease in whisker growth rate over time, suggesting a non-linear whisker growth pattern. However, linear and non-linear growth simulations showed slight differences between the two growth patterns for the proximal ~50 mm of whiskers. δ C and δ N lion whisker-diet TDFs were also similar amongst individuals (mean = 2.7 ± 0.12 ‰ for δ C values and 2.5 ± 0.08 ‰ for δ N values), irrespective of age and sex.

CONCLUSIONS

The whisker growth rate and δ C and δ N lion whisker-diet TDFs obtained in this study can be applied in future studies to assign dietary information contained in analysed felid whiskers to the correct time period and improve deductions of prey species consumed by wild felids.

摘要

原理

须的稳定同位素分析（SIA）已被用于确定海洋和陆地食肉动物的进食时间习惯、种群内饮食差异以及个体饮食特化情况。然而，由于缺乏关于特定物种的须生长速率、须生长模式以及须 - 饮食营养歧视因子（TDF）的信息，该方法在揭示大型野生猫科动物此类饮食信息方面的潜力受到了阻碍。

方法

在南非比勒陀利亚的国家动物园，对四只狮子（ Panthera leo ）和一只豹（ Panthera pardus ）的须生长速率和生长模式进行了测量。在185天内，使用碳含量 depleted、以碳为基础的长颈鹿（ Giraffa camelopardalis ）肉对这些猫科动物正在生长的须“标记”了四次。在以1毫米间隔对再生须进行连续切片并进行同位素分析后，确定的低δC值时期随后与特定的长颈鹿肉喂食时段以及生长时期相关联。对五只饮食多年保持一致的狮子估计了δC和δN须 - 饮食TDF。

结果

尽管存在物种、性别和年龄差异，但三只雌狮和豹的须生长速率相似（平均值 = 0.65毫米/天）。须生长速率随时间下降，表明须生长模式呈非线性。然而，线性和非线性生长模拟显示，须近端约50毫米的两种生长模式之间存在细微差异。个体之间的δC和δN狮子须 - 饮食TDF也相似（δC值的平均值 = 2.7±0.12‰，δN值的平均值 = 2.5±0.08‰），与年龄和性别无关。