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Ungulate niche partitioning and behavioural plasticity of aurochs in Early Holocene southern Scandinavia revealed by stable isotope analysis of bone collagen

Rosengren, Erika LU orcid and Magnell, Ola (2024) In Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 648. p.1-12
Abstract
This study examines the impact of the extensive climatic and environmental changes associated with the Early Holocene on the feeding ecology of aurochs, European bison, red deer, and Eurasian elk in southern Scandinavia from radiocarbon dates and analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. Molecular sex information is utilised in the study of aurochs to understand the underlying reasons behind observed intraspecific differences. Asynchronous diachronic changes in dietary palaeoecology were observed between the included taxa. The observed trends in foraging and habitat use among herbivores in our dataset can be attributed to the directional vegetation change from open landscape to forest. Our findings imply that environmental changes... (More)
This study examines the impact of the extensive climatic and environmental changes associated with the Early Holocene on the feeding ecology of aurochs, European bison, red deer, and Eurasian elk in southern Scandinavia from radiocarbon dates and analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. Molecular sex information is utilised in the study of aurochs to understand the underlying reasons behind observed intraspecific differences. Asynchronous diachronic changes in dietary palaeoecology were observed between the included taxa. The observed trends in foraging and habitat use among herbivores in our dataset can be attributed to the directional vegetation change from open landscape to forest. Our findings imply that environmental changes and/or interspecific competition contributed to the local extinction of European bison and impacted the niches of remaining species
through niche overlap (cervids) and partitioning (between cervids and aurochs). Thus, our observations are consistent with the influence of multiple mechanisms that acted concurrently. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
This study examines the impact of the extensive climatic and environmental changes associated with the Early Holocene on the feeding ecology of aurochs, European bison, red deer, and Eurasian elk in southern Scandinavia from radiocarbon dates and analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. Molecular sex information is utilised in the study of aurochs to understand the underlying reasons behind observed intraspecific differences. Asynchronous diachronic changes in dietary palaeoecology were observed between the included taxa. The observed trends in foraging and habitat use among herbivores in our dataset can be attributed to the directional vegetation change from open landscape to forest. Our findings imply that environmental changes... (More)
This study examines the impact of the extensive climatic and environmental changes associated with the Early Holocene on the feeding ecology of aurochs, European bison, red deer, and Eurasian elk in southern Scandinavia from radiocarbon dates and analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. Molecular sex information is utilised in the study of aurochs to understand the underlying reasons behind observed intraspecific differences. Asynchronous diachronic changes in dietary palaeoecology were observed between the included taxa. The observed trends in foraging and habitat use among herbivores in our dataset can be attributed to the directional vegetation change from open landscape to forest. Our findings imply that environmental changes and/or interspecific competition contributed to the local extinction of European bison and impacted the niches of remaining species through niche overlap (cervids) and partitioning (between cervids and aurochs). Thus, our observations are consistent with the influence of multiple mechanisms that acted concurrently. (Less)
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author
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organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
stable isotopes, Aurochs, Feeding ecology, Southern Scandinavia, Early Holocene, Niche partitioning, ungulates, Stable isotopes, Feeding ecology, Southern Scandinavia, Early Holocene, Aurochs, Niche partitioning
in
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
volume
648
article number
112257
pages
12 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85193509848
ISSN
0031-0182
DOI
10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112257
project
The Presence, Abundance and Extinction of the Postglacial Megafauna in Scandinavia
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
29d35162-66c5-45e0-996a-71faf7b660f2
date added to LUP
2024-05-22 17:02:43
date last changed
2024-05-31 10:48:47
@article{29d35162-66c5-45e0-996a-71faf7b660f2,
  abstract     = {{This study examines the impact of the extensive climatic and environmental changes associated with the Early Holocene on the feeding ecology of aurochs, European bison, red deer, and Eurasian elk in southern Scandinavia from radiocarbon dates and analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. Molecular sex information is utilised in the study of aurochs to understand the underlying reasons behind observed intraspecific differences. Asynchronous diachronic changes in dietary palaeoecology were observed between the included taxa. The observed trends in foraging and habitat use among herbivores in our dataset can be attributed to the directional vegetation change from open landscape to forest. Our findings imply that environmental changes and/or interspecific competition contributed to the local extinction of European bison and impacted the niches of remaining species<br/>through niche overlap (cervids) and partitioning (between cervids and aurochs). Thus, our observations are consistent with the influence of multiple mechanisms that acted concurrently.}},
  author       = {{Rosengren, Erika and Magnell, Ola}},
  issn         = {{0031-0182}},
  keywords     = {{stable isotopes; Aurochs; Feeding ecology; Southern Scandinavia; Early Holocene; Niche partitioning; ungulates; Stable isotopes; Feeding ecology; Southern Scandinavia; Early Holocene; Aurochs; Niche partitioning}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  pages        = {{1--12}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology}},
  title        = {{Ungulate niche partitioning and behavioural plasticity of aurochs in Early Holocene southern Scandinavia revealed by stable isotope analysis of bone collagen}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112257}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112257}},
  volume       = {{648}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}