Nitrogen isotope analyses of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), 45,000 BP to 9,000 BP: Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. (2008) (original) (raw)
Related papers
Quaternary International
The Late-glacial and early Holocene periods are characterized by significant climatic and environmental changes that result in a global warming. In this context, typical glacial species such as reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) were extirpated from the southern regions of western Europe following different timing according to the geographical location. A new direct radiocarbon date was performed on a reindeer metatarsus from the Mesolithic site of Rottenburg-Siebenlinden in the Swabian Jura. The result (9225 ± 35 BP; 10,270–10,500 cal BP) confirmed the survival of this species during the early Holocene in southwestern (SW) Germany. Collagen 13C and 15N abundances (δ13Ccoll and δ15Ncoll) were measured on this Holocene reindeer and on Late-glacial reindeer from Magdalenian sites – Petersfels, Schussenquelle, Felsställe and Kesslerloch – of the same region to investigate their diet and environment. During the first part of the Late-glacial (ca. 16.6–14 ka cal BP), the δ13Ccoll values of the SW Germany reindeer were slightly lower than those found in reindeer from Stellmoor and Meiendorf sites in northern Germany, probably as a result of lower lichen consumption and higher humidity. Lower δ15Ncoll values in SW Germany reindeer compared to southwestern France could be linked to less advanced soil maturation as the inheritance of higher permafrost intensity linked to harsher climatic conditions during the Late-Glacial Maximum. In SW Germany, the early Holocene reindeer had a higher δ15Ncoll value (4‰) than those of its Late-glacial counterparts (1.2–3.3‰), which would reflect the expected increase in 15N abundances of soils and plants with higher temperature. However, relatively high δ15N values (ca. 4–5‰) were also found in the reindeer of southwestern England as early as during the Younger Dryas, the last cold stadial preceding the early Holocene. In contrast, northern and western Germany reindeer exhibited increasing δ13Ccoll values but stable δ15Ncoll values during the Younger Dryas compared to the previous Bölling/Alleröd interstadial. This could indicate a slower response in 15Ncoll than in 13Ccoll abundances of ancient reindeer to climatic changes. Finally, the reindeer of southern England and SW Germany survived the Younger Dryas/early Holocene transition in a relatively open landscape as confirmed by the δ13Ccoll values measured on coeval deer.
Chronological and ecological information on Late-glacial and early Holocene
The Late-glacial and early Holocene periods are characterized by significant climatic and environmental changes that result in a global warming. In this context, typical glacial species such as reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) were extirpated from the southern regions of western Europe following different timing according to the geographical location. A new direct radiocarbon date was performed on a reindeer metatarsus from the Mesolithic site of Rottenburg-Siebenlinden in the valley of the river Neckar. The result (9225 +/- 35 BP; 10,270-10,500 cal BP) confirmed the survival of this species during the early Holocene in southwestern (SW) Germany. Collagen 13C and 15N abundances (d13Ccoll and d15Ncoll) were measured on this Holocene reindeer and on Late-glacial reindeer from Magdalenian sites - Petersfels, Schussenquelle, Felsställe and Kesslerloch - of the same region to investigate their diet and environment. During the first part of the Late-glacial (ca. 16.6 - 14 ka cal BP), the d13Ccoll values of the SW Germany reindeer were slightly lower than those found in reindeer from Stellmoor and Meiendorf sites in northern Germany, probably as a result of lower lichen consumption and higher humidity. Lower d15Ncoll values in SW Germany reindeer compared to southwestern France could be linked to less advanced soil maturation as the inheritance of higher permafrost intensity linked to harsher climatic conditions during the Late-Glacial Maximum. In SW Germany, the early Holocene reindeer had a higher d15Ncoll value (4o/oo) than those of its Late-glacial counterparts (1.2-3.3o/oo), which would reflect the expected increase in 15N abundances of soils and plants with higher temperature. However, relatively high d15N values (ca. 4-5o/oo) were also found in the reindeer of southwestern England as early as during the Younger Dryas, the last cold stadial preceding the early Holocene. In contrast, northern and western Germany reindeer exhibited increasing d13Ccoll values but stable d15Ncoll values during the Younger Dryas compared to the previous Bölling/Alleröd interstadial. This could indicate a slower response in 15Ncoll than in 13Ccoll abundances of ancient reindeer to climatic changes. Finally, the reindeer of southern England and SW Germany survived the Younger Dryas/early Holocene transition in a relatively open landscape as confirmed by the d13Ccoll values measured on coeval deer.
Changes in reindeer body part representation at Grotte XVI, Dordogne, France
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2007
Foraging theory models are used to examine changes in reindeer body part representation in the Middle and Upper Paleolithic ungulate assemblages at Grotte XVI (Dordogne, France). Previous research suggests that climate change resulted in progressive increases in reindeer abundances throughout the region. If increased forager encounter rates with reindeer resulted in decreased transport distances and search times, central-place forager models predict that field processing at the kill site will decline and reindeer body part transport will become less selective. This prediction is supported, and reindeer skeletal element abundances are shown to become increasingly even and incorporate higher frequencies of low utility elements through time. The progressive shift in reindeer transport strategies operates across technological and hominin species boundaries including the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition.
Scientific Reports
Here we present stable carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios of collagen extracted from Rangifer, Equus and Bison bone (n = 128) from different stratigraphic levels at the chronologically well-constrained Middle and Upper Palaeolithic site of Les Cottés, France. Samples were taken from five phases of site use (US08, US06, US04 [upper and lower], and US02; ~ 45.8–35.3 ka cal BP) to explore the dietary and spatial palaeoecology of these ungulate species during MIS 3, and the contemporary climate. Temporal trends in δ15N values of all species broadly align with other climatic indicators at the site and the lowest values in US04 correspond to the Heinrich 4 cooling event, reflecting changes in the composition of soil/plant nitrogen at this time. Rangifer collagen is 13C-enriched compared to the other species throughout, consistent with lichen consumption. However, this isotopic niche partitioning between Rangifer and Equus/Bison is most extensive during US04, indicating plasticity ...
Long-Term Trends and Role of Climate in the Population Dynamics of Eurasian Reindeer
PloS one, 2016
Temperature is increasing in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions at a higher rate than anywhere else in the world. The frequency and nature of precipitation events are also predicted to change in the future. These changes in climate are expected, together with increasing human pressures, to have significant impacts on Arctic and sub-Arctic species and ecosystems. Due to the key role that reindeer play in those ecosystems, it is essential to understand how climate will affect the region's most important species. Our study assesses the role of climate on the dynamics of fourteen Eurasian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) populations, using for the first time data on reindeer abundance collected over a 70-year period, including both wild and semi-domesticated reindeer, and covering more than half of the species' total range. We analyzed trends in population dynamics, investigated synchrony among population growth rates, and assessed the effects of climate on population growth rates. Trend...