FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom / Grazing high and low: Can we detect horse altitudinal mobili...
Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM2019; 33(19); 1512-1526; doi: 10.1002/rcm.8496

Grazing high and low: Can we detect horse altitudinal mobility using high-resolution isotope (δ13 C and δ15 N values) time series in tail hair? A case study in the Mongolian Altai.

Abstract: Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope time series performed in continuously growing tissues (hair, tooth enamel) are commonly used to reconstruct the dietary history of modern and ancient animals. Predicting the effects of altitudinal mobility on animal δ C and δ N values remains difficult as several variables such as temperature, water availability or soil type can contribute to the isotope composition. Modern references adapted to the region of interest are therefore essential. Methods: Between June 2015 and July 2018, six free-ranging domestic horses living in the Mongolian Altaï were fitted with GPS collars. Tail hairs were sampled each year, prepared for sequential C and N isotope analysis using EA-IRMS. Isotopic variations were compared with altitudinal mobility, and Generalized Additive Mixed (GAMMs) models were used to model the effect of geographic and environmental factors on δ C and δ N values. Results: Less than half of the pasture changes were linked with a significant isotopic shift while numerous isotopic shifts did not correspond to any altitudinal mobility. Similar patterns of δ C and δ N variations were observed between the different horses, despite differences in mobility patterns. We propose that water availability as well as seasonal availability of N fixing type plants primarily controlled horse hair δ C and δ N values, overprinting the influence of altitude. Conclusions: Our study shows that altitudinal mobility is not the main factor that drives the variations in horse tail hair δ C and δ N values and that seasonal change in the animal dietary preference also plays an important role. It is therefore risky to interpret variations in δ C and δ N values of animal tissues in terms of altitudinal mobility alone, at least in C -dominated environments.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2019-05-31 PubMed ID: 31148256DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8496Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research study used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope time series in horse tail hair to understand how the dietary history of these animals relates to their altitudinal movements in the Mongolian Altai region. The findings suggested that seasonal dietary changes and water availability, rather than just altitude changes, significantly influenced these isotope values.

Methods

  • The researchers equipped six horses with GPS collars and collected tail hair samples annually between June 2015 and July 2018.
  • These hair samples were prepared for carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis using Element Analysis Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (EA-IRMS).
  • The variations in the isotopes were then compared with the altitudinal movements of the horses.
  • Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs) were used to estimate the impact of geographic and environmental factors on the isotope values.

Results

  • The research revealed that fewer than half of the changes in grazing altitude corresponded to significant shifts in the isotope values. This indicates that altitudinal changes were not the primary drivers of these isotope shifts.
  • Many isotope shifts did not correspond to any changes in altitude, suggesting that other factors were influencing the isotope values.
  • Similar trends in isotope variations were observed across different horses, despite variations in their mobility patterns.
  • The researchers postulated that factors like water availability and the seasonal prevalence of certain nitrogen-fixing plants primarily influenced the horse hair isotope values, reducing the influence of altitude.

Conclusion

  • The study found that interpreting isotope values in terms of altitudinal mobility alone could be misleading, especially in carbon-dominated environments.
  • It was underscored that seasonal changes in dietary preferences and water availability also play crucial roles in determining isotope values in horse tail hair.
  • The research emphasized the importance of using region-specific reference data when conducting this type of study, due to the various environmental and geographical factors that can influence isotope composition.

Cite This Article

APA
Lazzerini N, Coulon A, Simon L, Marchina C, Noost B, Lepetz S, Zazzo A. (2019). Grazing high and low: Can we detect horse altitudinal mobility using high-resolution isotope (δ13 C and δ15 N values) time series in tail hair? A case study in the Mongolian Altai. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 33(19), 1512-1526. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.8496

Publication

Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM
ISSN: 1097-0231
NlmUniqueID: 8802365
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 33
Issue: 19
Pages: 1512-1526

Researcher Affiliations

Lazzerini, Nicolas
  • Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: sociétés, pratiques et environnements (UMR 7209 AASPE), CNRS, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CP56, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
Coulon, Aurélie
  • Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (UMR 7204 CESCO), CNRS, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CP135, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France.
  • CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France.
Simon, Laurent
  • Univ. Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, 69622, Villeurbanne, France.
Marchina, Charlotte
  • Institut Français de Recherche sur l'Asie de l'Est (IFRAE), FRE 2025, Inalco/Université de Paris/CNRS, 2 rue de Lille, 75007, Paris, France.
Noost, Bayarkhuu
  • Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Institute of History and Archaeology, Mongolia.
Lepetz, Sébastien
  • Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: sociétés, pratiques et environnements (UMR 7209 AASPE), CNRS, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CP56, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
Zazzo, Antoine
  • Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: sociétés, pratiques et environnements (UMR 7209 AASPE), CNRS, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CP56, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.

MeSH Terms

  • Altitude
  • Animals
  • Carbon Isotopes / analysis
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Hair / chemistry
  • Horses / physiology
  • Male
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Mongolia
  • Nitrogen Isotopes / analysis
  • Seasons
  • Tail / chemistry

Grant Funding

  • CNRS
  • French archaeological mission in Mongolia (MAEDI)
  • Inalco Early Career Research Grant
  • ANR-10-LABX-0003-BCDiv / LabEx BCDiv

References

This article includes 92 references
  1. Wright J, Makarewicz C. Perceptions of pasture: the role of skill and networks in maintaining stable pastoral nomadic systems in Inner Asia. In: Kerner S, Dann R, Jensen PB eds. Climate and Ancient Societies. Copenhagen: Mus.Tusculanum Press; 2015:267-288.
  2. Finke P. Le pastoralisme dans l'ouest de la Mongolie: contraintes, motivations et variations. Cah D'Asie Cent 2004;11/12:245-265.
  3. Kerven C, Robinson S, Behnke R, Kushenov K, Milner-Gulland EJ. Horseflies, wolves and wells: Biophysical and socio-economic factors influencing livestock distribution in Kazakhstan's rangelands. Land Use Policy 2016;52:392-409.
    doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.12.030google scholar: lookup
  4. Lkhagvadorj D, Hauck M, Dulamsuren C, Tsogtbaatar J. Pastoral nomadism in the forest-steppe of the Mongolian Altai under a changing economy and a warming climate. J Arid Environments 2013;88:82-89.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.07.019google scholar: lookup
  5. Marchina C. Nomad's Land. Éleveurs. Animaux et Paysage Chez Les Peuples Mongols. Bruxelles: Zones sensibles; 2019.
  6. Ventresca Miller AR, Makarewicz CA. Isotopic approaches to pastoralism in prehistory: Diet, mobility, and isotopic reference sets. In: Isotopic Investigations of Pastoralism in Prehistory. London, UK: Routledge; 2017:9-22.
    doi: 10.4324/9781315143026-1google scholar: lookup
  7. Cerling TE, Wittemyer G, Ehleringer JR, Remien CH, Douglas-Hamilton I. History of animals using isotope records (HAIR): A 6-year dietary history of one family of African elephants. Proc Natl Acad Sci 2009;106(20):8093-8100.
  8. West AG, Ayliffe LK, Cerling TE. Short-term diet changes revealed using stable carbon isotopes in horse tail-hair. Funct Ecol 2004;18(4):616-624.
  9. Hobson KA. Applying isotopic methods to tracking animal movements. In: Hobson KA, Wassenaar LI, eds. Tracking Animal Migration with Stable Isotopes. Vol. 2. Terrestrial Ecology. London, UK: Academic Press; 2008:45-78.
  10. Ayliffe LK, Cerling TE, Robinson T. Turnover of carbon isotopes in tail hair and breath CO2 of horses fed an isotopically varied diet. Oecologia 2004;139(1):11-22.
  11. Zazzo A, Moloney AP, Monahan FJ, Scrimgeour CM, Schmidt O. Effect of age and food intake on dietary carbon turnover recorded in sheep wool. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2008;22(18):2937-2945.
    doi: 10.1002/rcm.3693google scholar: lookup
  12. Zazzo A, Harrison SM, Bahar B. Experimental determination of dietary carbon turnover in bovine hair and hoof. Can J Zool 2007;85(12):1239-1248.
  13. Männel TT, Auerswald K, Schnyder H. Altitudinal gradients of grassland carbon and nitrogen isotope composition are recorded in the hair of grazers. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 2007;16(5):583-592.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2007.00322.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  14. Burnik Šturm M, Ganbaatar O, Voigt CC, Kaczensky P. Sequential stable isotope analysis reveals differences in dietary history of three sympatric equid species in the Mongolian Gobi. J Appl Ecol 2016;54(4):1110-1119.
    doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12825google scholar: lookup
  15. Iacumin P, Davanzo S, Nikolaev V. Spatial and temporal variations in the 13C/12C and 15N/14N ratios of mammoth hairs: Palaeodiet and palaeoclimatic implications. Chem Geol 2006;231(1-2):16-25.
    doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2005.12.007google scholar: lookup
  16. Raich JW, Russell AE, Vitousek PM. Primary productivity and ecosystem development along an elevational gradient on Mauna Loa, Hawai‘i. Ecology 1997;78(3):707-721.
    doi: 10.1890/0012-9658(1997)078[0707:ppaeda]2.0.co;2google scholar: lookup
  17. Zhang Y, Qi W, Zhou C. Spatial and temporal variability in the net primary production of alpine grassland on the Tibetan plateau since 1982. J Geogr Sci 2014;24(2):269-287.
    doi: 10.1007/s11442-014-1087-1google scholar: lookup
  18. Drewnik M. The effect of environmental conditions on the decomposition rate of cellulose in mountain soils. Geoderma 2006;132(1):116-130.
    doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2005.04.023google scholar: lookup
  19. Coûteaux MM, Sarmiento L, Bottner P, Acevedo D, Thiéry JM. Decomposition of standard plant material along an altitudinal transect (65-3968m) in the tropical Andes. Soil Biol Biochem 2002;34(1):69-78.
    doi: 10.1016/s0038-0717(01)00155-9google scholar: lookup
  20. Wang G, Jia Y, Li W. Effects of environmental and biotic factors on carbon isotopic fractionation during decomposition of soil organic matter. Sci Rep 2015;5(1):11043.
    doi: 10.1038/srep11043google scholar: lookup
  21. Craine JM, Elmore AJ, Aidar MPM. Global patterns of foliar nitrogen isotopes and their relationships with climate, mycorrhizal fungi, foliar nutrient concentrations, and nitrogen availability. New Phytologist 2009;183(4):980-992.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02917.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  22. O'Leary MH. Carbon isotopes in photosynthesis. Bioscience 1988;38(5):328-336.
    doi: 10.2307/1310735google scholar: lookup
  23. Kohn MJ. Carbon isotope compositions of terrestrial C3 plants as indicators of (paleo) ecology and (paleo) climate. Proc Natl Acad Sci 2010;107(46):19691-19695.
  24. Pyankov VI, Gunin PD, Tsoog S, Black CC. C4 plants in the vegetation of Mongolia: Their natural occurrence and geographical distribution in relation to climate. Oecologia 2000;123(1):15-31.
  25. Ehleringer JR. The influence of atmospheric CO2, temperature, and water on the abundance of C3/C4 taxa. In: A History of Atmospheric CO2 and Its Effects on Plants, Animals, and Ecosystems. New York, NY: Springer; 2005:214-231.
  26. Makarewicz CA, Arbuckle BS, Öztan A. Vertical transhumance of sheep and goats identified by intra-tooth sequential carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic analyses: Evidence from chalcolithic Köşk Höyük, Central Turkey. J Archaeol Sci 2017;86:68-80.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2017.01.003google scholar: lookup
  27. Tornero C, Balasse M, Bălăşescu A, Chataigner C, Gasparyan B, Montoya C. The altitudinal mobility of wild sheep at the Epigravettian site of Kalavan 1 (lesser Caucasus, Armenia): Evidence from a sequential isotopic analysis in tooth enamel. J Human Evol 2016;97:27-36.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.05.001google scholar: lookup
  28. Balasse M, Ambrose SH. Mobilité altitudinale des pasteurs néolithiques dans la vallée du rift (Kenya): Premiers indices de l'analyse du δ13C de l'émail dentaire du cheptel domestique. Anthropozoologica 2005;40(1):147-166.
  29. Henton E, Ruben I, Palmer C. The seasonal mobility of prehistoric gazelle herds in the Azraq Basin, Jordan: Modelling alternative strategies using stable isotopes. Environ Archaeol 2017;0(0):1-13.
    doi: 10.1080/14614103.2017.1316432google scholar: lookup
  30. Makarewicz CA, Pederzani S. Oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotopic distinction in sequentially sampled tooth enamel of co-localized wild and domesticated caprines: Complications to establishing seasonality and mobility in herbivores. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 2017;485:1-15.
    doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.01.010google scholar: lookup
  31. de Winter NJ, Snoeck C, Claeys P. Seasonal Cyclicity in trace elements and stable isotopes of modern horse enamel. PLoS ONE 2016;11(11):e0166678.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166678google scholar: lookup
  32. Makarewicz CA. Winter pasturing practices and variable fodder provisioning detected in nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) isotopes in sheep dentinal collagen. J Archaeol Sci 2014;41:502-510.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2013.09.016google scholar: lookup
  33. Körner C, Farquhar GD, Roksandic Z. A global survey of carbon isotope discrimination in plants from high altitude. Oecologia 1988;74(4):623-632.
    doi: 10.1007/bf00380063google scholar: lookup
  34. Körner C, Farquhar GD, Wong SC. Carbon isotope discrimination by plants follows latitudinal and altitudinal trends. Oecologia 1991;88(1):30-40.
    doi: 10.1007/bf00328400google scholar: lookup
  35. Li M, Liu H, Li L, Yi X, Zhu X. Carbon isotope composition of plants along altitudinal gradient and its relationship to environmental factors on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Polish J Ecol 2007;55(1):67-78.
  36. Li C, Zhang X, Liu X, Luukkanen O, Berninger F. Leaf morphological and physiological responses of Quercus aquifolioides along an altitudinal gradient. Silva Fenn 2006;40(1):5-13.
  37. Morecroft MD, Woodward FI. Experimental investigations on the environmental determination of δ13C at different altitudes. J Exp Bot 1990;41(10):1303-1308.
    doi: 10.1093/jxb/41.10.1303google scholar: lookup
  38. Li J, Wang G, Liu X, Han J, Liu M, Liu X. Variations in carbon isotope ratios of C3 plants and distribution of C4 plants along an altitudinal transect on the eastern slope of mount Gongga. Sci China Ser Earth Sci 2009;52(11):1714-1723.
    doi: 10.1007/s11430-009-0170-4google scholar: lookup
  39. Szpak P, White CD, Longstaffe FJ, Millaire J-F, Sánchez VFV. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic survey of northern Peruvian plants: Baselines for paleodietary and paleoecological studies. PLoS ONE 2013;8(1):e53763.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053763google scholar: lookup
  40. van de Water PK, Leavitt SW, Betancourt JL. Leaf δ13C variability with elevation, slope aspect, and precipitation in the Southwest United States. Oecologia 2002;132(3):332-343.
    doi: 10.1007/s00442-002-0973-xgoogle scholar: lookup
  41. Liu X, Gao C, Su Q, Zhang Y, Song Y. Altitudinal trends in δ13C value, stomatal density and nitrogen content of Pinus tabuliformis needles on the southern slope of the middle Qinling Mountains, China. J Mountain Sci 2016;13(6):1066-1077.
    doi: 10.1007/s11629-015-3532-8google scholar: lookup
  42. Liu X, Zhao L, Gasaw M, Gao D, Qin D, Ren J. Foliar δ13C and δ15N values of C3 plants in the Ethiopia Rift Valley and their environmental controls. Chin Sci Bull 2007;52(9):1265-1273.
    doi: 10.1007/s11434-007-0165-5google scholar: lookup
  43. Amundson R, Austin AT, Schuur EA. Global patterns of the isotopic composition of soil and plant nitrogen. Global Biogeochem Cycles 2003;17(1):1031.
    doi: 10.1029/2002gb001903google scholar: lookup
  44. Liu X, Wang G. Measurements of nitrogen isotope composition of plants and surface soils along the altitudinal transect of the eastern slope of Mount Gongga in Southwest China. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2010;24(20):3063-3071.
    doi: 10.1002/rcm.4735google scholar: lookup
  45. Handley LL, Austin AT, Stewart GR. The 15N natural abundance (δ15N) of ecosystem samples reflects measures of water availability. Funct Plant Biol 1999;26(2):185-199.
    doi: 10.1071/pp98146google scholar: lookup
  46. Garten CT. Variation in foliar 15N abundance and the availability of soil nitrogen on Walker branch watershed. Ecology 1993;74(7):2098-2113.
    doi: 10.2307/1940855google scholar: lookup
  47. Liu X, Wang G, Li J, Wang Q. Nitrogen isotope composition characteristics of modern plants and their variations along an altitudinal gradient in Dongling Mountain in Beijing. Sci China Ser Earth Sci 2010;53(1):128-140.
    doi: 10.1007/s11430-009-0175-zgoogle scholar: lookup
  48. Slivinska K, Kopij G. Diet of the Przewalski's horse Equus przewalskii in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Polish J Ecol 2011;59(4):841-847.
  49. Duncan P. Horses and Grasses: The Nutritional Ecology of Equids and Their Impact on the Camargue. New York: Springer-Verlag; 1992.
  50. Putman RJ, Pratt RM, Ekins JR, Edwards PJ. Food and feeding behaviour of cattle and ponies in the New Forest, Hampshire. J Appl Ecol 1987;24(2):369-380.
    doi: 10.2307/2403881google scholar: lookup
  51. O'Connell TC, Hedges REM, Healey MA, Simpson AHRW. Isotopic comparison of hair, nail and bone: Modern analyses. J Archaeol Sci 2001;28(11):1247-1255.
    doi: 10.1006/jasc.2001.0698google scholar: lookup
  52. Lavielle M. Detection of multiple changes in a sequence of dependent variables. Stochastic Processes Appl 1999;83(1):79-102.
    doi: 10.1016/s0304-4149(99)00023-xgoogle scholar: lookup
  53. Lavielle M. Using penalized contrasts for the change-point problem. Signal Processing 2005;85(8):1501-1510.
    doi: 10.1016/j.sigpro.2005.01.012google scholar: lookup
  54. Calenge C. The package “adehabitat” for the R software: A tool for the analysis of space and habitat use by animals. Ecological Modelling 2006;197(3):516-519.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.03.017google scholar: lookup
  55. Wittemyer G, Cerling TE, Douglas-Hamilton I. Establishing chronologies from isotopic profiles in serially collected animal tissues: An example using tail hairs from African elephants. Chem Geol 2009;267(1-2):3-11.
    doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2008.08.010google scholar: lookup
  56. Sponheimer M, Robinson T, Ayliffe L. Nitrogen isotopes in mammalian herbivores: Hair δ15N values from a controlled feeding study. Int J Osteoarchaeol 2003;13(1-2):80-87.
    doi: 10.1002/oa.655google scholar: lookup
  57. Jones RJ, Ludlow MM, Troughton JH, Blunt CG. Changes in the natural carbon isotope ratios of the hair from steers fed diets of C4, C3 and C4 species in sequence. J Aust N Z Assoc Adv Sci 1981;12(3):85-87.
  58. Pettorelli N, Gaillard J-M, Mysterud A. Using a proxy of plant productivity (NDVI) to find key periods for animal performance: The case of roe deer. Oikos 2006;112(3):565-572.
    doi: 10.1111/j.0030-1299.2006.14447.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  59. . European Commission Copernicus Land Monitoring Service - Global Component. Available: https://land.copernicus.eu/global.2018.
  60. Wood S, Scheipl F. gamm4: Generalized Additive Mixed Models using mgcv and lme4. R package version 0.2-5. 2014. Available: https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=gamm4.
  61. Burnik Šturm M, Pukazhenthi B, Reed D. A protocol to correct for intra- and interspecific variation in tail hair growth to align isotope signatures of segmentally cut tail hair to a common time line. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2015;29(11):1047-1054.
    doi: 10.1002/rcm.7196google scholar: lookup
  62. Dunnett M. The diagnostic potential of equine hair: A comparative review of hair analysis for assessing nutritional status, environmental poisoning, and drug use and abuse. Adv Equine Nutr-III 2005;85-106.
  63. Sharp ZD, Atudorei V, Panarello HO, Fernández J, Douthitt C. Hydrogen isotope systematics of hair: Archeological and forensic applications. J Archaeol Sci 2003;30(12):1709-1716.
    doi: 10.1016/s0305-4403(03)00071-2google scholar: lookup
  64. Auerswald K, Rossmann A, Schäufele R, Schwertl M, Monahan FJ, Schnyder H. Does natural weathering change the stable isotope composition (2H, 13C, 15N, 18O and 34S) of cattle hair?. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2011;25(24):3741-3748.
    doi: 10.1002/rcm.5284google scholar: lookup
  65. Wang C, Liu D, Luo W. Variations in leaf carbon isotope composition along an arid and semi-arid grassland transect in northern China. J Plant Ecol 2016;9(5):576-585.
    doi: 10.1093/jpe/rtw006google scholar: lookup
  66. Salter RE, Hudson RJ. Feeding ecology of feral horses in Western Alberta. J Range Manag 1979;32(3):221-225.
    doi: 10.2307/3897127google scholar: lookup
  67. Makarewicz CA. Sequential δ13C and δ18O analyses of early Holocene bovid tooth enamel: Resolving vertical transhumance in Neolithic domesticated sheep and goats. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 2017;485:16-29.
    doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.01.028google scholar: lookup
  68. Makarewicz CA, Winter-Schuh C, Byerly H, Houle J-L. Isotopic evidence for ceremonial provisioning of Late Bronze Age khirigsuurs with horses from diverse geographic locales. Quater Int 2018;476:70-81.
    doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2018.02.030google scholar: lookup
  69. Tornero C, Aguilera M, Ferrio JP. Vertical sheep mobility along the altitudinal gradient through stable isotope analyses in tooth molar bioapatite, meteoric water and pastures: A reference from the Ebro valley to the Central Pyrenees. Quater Int 2017;484:94-106.
    doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2016.11.042google scholar: lookup
  70. Makarewicz C, Tuross N. Finding fodder and tracking transhumance: Isotopic detection of goat domestication processes in the near east. Curr Anthropol 2012;53(4):495-505.
  71. Still CJ, Berry JA, Collatz GJ, DeFries RS. Global distribution of C3 and C4 vegetation: Carbon cycle implications. Global Biogeochem Cycles 2003;17(1):6-1-6-14.
    doi: 10.1029/2001gb001807google scholar: lookup
  72. Smedley MP, Dawson TE, Comstock JP. Seasonal carbon isotope discrimination in a grassland community. Oecologia 1991;85(3):314-320.
    doi: 10.1007/bf00320605google scholar: lookup
  73. Diefendorf AF, Mueller KE, Wing SL, Koch PL, Freeman KH. Global patterns in leaf 13C discrimination and implications for studies of past and future climate. Proc Natl Acad Sci 2010;107(13):5738-5743.
    doi: 10.1073/pnas.0910513107google scholar: lookup
  74. Fraser RA, Grün R, Privat K, Gagan MK. Stable-isotope microprofiling of wombat tooth enamel records seasonal changes in vegetation and environmental conditions in eastern Australia. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 2008;269(1):66-77.
    doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.08.004google scholar: lookup
  75. Murphy BP, Bowman DM. The carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of Australian grasses in relation to climate. Funct Ecol 2009;23(6):1040-1049.
  76. Flanagan LB, Farquhar GD. Variation in the carbon and oxygen isotope composition of plant biomass and its relationship to water-use efficiency at the leaf- and ecosystem-scales in a northern Great Plains grassland. Plant Cell Environ 2014;37(2):425-438.
    doi: 10.1111/pce.12165google scholar: lookup
  77. Hartman G, Danin A. Isotopic values of plants in relation to water availability in the eastern Mediterranean region. Oecologia 2010;162(4):837-852.
    doi: 10.1007/s00442-009-1514-7google scholar: lookup
  78. Ehleringer JR, Dawson TE. Water uptake by plants: Perspectives from stable isotope composition. Plant Cell Environ 1992;15(9):1073-1082.
  79. Farquhar GD, Ehleringer JR, Hubick KT. Carbon isotope discrimination and photosynthesis. Annu Rev Plant Biol 1989;40(1):503-537.
  80. Farquhar GD, O'Leary MH, Berry JA. On the relationship between carbon isotope discrimination and the intercellular carbon dioxide concentration in leaves. Funct Plant Biol 1982;9(2):121-137.
    doi: 10.1071/pp9820121google scholar: lookup
  81. Cernusak LA, Barbour MM, Arndt SK. Stable isotopes in leaf water of terrestrial plants. Plant Cell Environ 2016;39(5):1087-1102.
  82. Cloern JE, Canuel EA, Harris D. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of aquatic and terrestrial plants of the San Francisco Bay estuarine system. Limnol Oceanogr 2002;47(3):713-729.
    doi: 10.4319/lo.2002.47.3.0713google scholar: lookup
  83. Wooller M, Smallwood B, Scharler U, Jacobson M, Fogel M. A taphonomic study of δ13C and δ15N values in Rhizophora mangle leaves for a multi-proxy approach to mangrove palaeoecology. Org Geochem 2003;34(9):1259-1275.
    doi: 10.1016/s0146-6380(03)00116-5google scholar: lookup
  84. Codron J, Codron D, Lee-Thorp JA. Taxonomic, anatomical, and spatio-temporal variations in the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of plants from an African savanna. J Archaeol Sci 2005;32(12):1757-1772.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2005.06.006google scholar: lookup
  85. Badeck F-W, Tcherkez G, Nogués S, Piel C, Ghashghaie J. Post-photosynthetic fractionation of stable carbon isotopes between plant organs - A widespread phenomenon. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2005;19(11):1381-1391.
    doi: 10.1002/rcm.1912google scholar: lookup
  86. Szpak P. Complexities of nitrogen isotope biogeochemistry in plant-soil systems: Implications for the study of ancient agricultural and animal management practices. Frontiers Plant Sci 2014;5.
    doi: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00288google scholar: lookup
  87. Craine JM, Brookshire ENJ, Cramer MD. Ecological interpretations of nitrogen isotope ratios of terrestrial plants and soils. Plant Soil 2015;396(1):1-26.
    doi: 10.1007/s11104-015-2542-1google scholar: lookup
  88. Rysava K, McGill RAR, Matthiopoulos J, Hopcraft JGC. Re-constructing nutritional history of Serengeti wildebeest from stable isotopes in tail hair: Seasonal starvation patterns in an obligate grazer. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2016;30(13):1461-1468.
    doi: 10.1002/rcm.7572google scholar: lookup
  89. Fuller BT, Fuller JL, Sage NE, Harris DA, O'Connell TC, Hedges REM. Nitrogen balance and δ15N: Why you're not what you eat during nutritional stress. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2005;19(18):2497-2506.
    doi: 10.1002/rcm.2090google scholar: lookup
  90. Samec CT, Yacobaccio HD, Panarello HO. Carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of natural pastures in the dry Puna of Argentina: A baseline for the study of prehistoric herd management strategies. Archaeological Anthropological Sci 2017;9(2):153-163.
    doi: 10.1007/s12520-015-0263-2google scholar: lookup
  91. Sambuu J. Mal Azu Aqui Deger-e-Ben Jagakizu Azillaqu Tuqai Arad-Du Ögkü Sanagulg-a Surgal [Advice to Herders on How to Improve Their Husbandry Practices]. Mongolia: Ulaanbataar; 1945.
  92. Dash M. Mongol Orny Bilcheeriin Mal Mallagaany Arga Turshlaga [Experience of Pastoralism in Mongolia]. Ulsyn Khevleiin Khereg Erkhlekh Khoroo: Ulaanbataar, Mongolia; 1966.

Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Zazzo A, Le Corre M, Lazzerini N, Marchina C, Bayarkhuu N, Bernard V, Cervel M, Fiorillo D, Joly D, Lemoine M, Telouk P, Thil F, Turbat T, Balter V, Coulon A, Lepetz S. 3000 yr-old patterns of mobile pastoralism revealed by multiple isotopes and radiocarbon dating of ancient horses from the Mongolian Altai. PLoS One 2025;20(5):e0322431.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0322431pubmed: 40333669google scholar: lookup
  2. Smithers R, Miller ARV, Fernandes R. North Central Asia isotopic database for archaeological samples. Data Brief 2024 Apr;53:110032.
    doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110032pubmed: 38348325google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.