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Scientific reports2017; 7(1); 5950; doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-05329-6

Stable isotopes reveal diet shift from pre-extinction to reintroduced Przewalski’s horses.

Abstract: The Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), the only remaining wild horse within the equid family, is one of only a handful of species worldwide that went extinct in the wild, was saved by captive breeding, and has been successfully returned to the wild. However, concerns remain that after multiple generations in captivity the ecology of the Przewalski's horse and / or the ecological conditions in its former range have changed in a way compromising the species' long term survival. We analyzed stable isotope chronologies from tail hair of pre-extinction and reintroduced Przewalski's horses from the Dzungarian Gobi and detected a clear difference in the isotopic dietary composition. The direction of the dietary shift from being a mixed feeder in winter and a grazer in summer in the past, to a year-round grazer nowadays, is best explained by a release from human hunting pressure. A changed, positive societal attitude towards the species allows reintroduced Przewalski's horses to utilize the scarce, grass-dominated pastures of the Gobi alongside local people and their livestock whereas their historic conspecifics were forced into less productive habitats dominated by browse.
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Publication Date: 2017-07-20 PubMed ID: 28729625PubMed Central: PMC5519547DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05329-6Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.

The research investigates the dietary changes in Przewalski’s horse, a species which once went extinct in the wild but was reintroduced after successful captive breeding, by analysing stable isotopes in their tail hair. The difference in the isotope composition provides evidence that these horses shifted from mixed feeding in winter and grazing in summer pre-extinction, to year-round grazing post reintroduction, a change attributed to the reduction in human hunting pressure.

Study Design and Data Collection

  • The researchers studied Przewalski’s horses (Equus ferus przewalskii), the last remaining wild horse species, which went extinct in the wild and was saved through captive breeding programs. This species has since been reintroduced to its original habitats.
  • The primary concern of the study was to determine if the horse’s ecology or the ecological conditions of its former habitats had significantly changed during its time in captivity, potentially challenging its long-term survival in the wild.
  • The team collected tail hair samples from both the pre-extinction and reintroduced Przewalski’s horse populations living in the Dzungarian Gobi. They used these samples to analyze stable isotope chronologies, which can reveal information about the animal’s diet.

Findings

  • The analysis of stable isotopes showed a clear difference in the isotopic dietary composition between the two groups of horses, indicating a shift in diet.
  • The historical Przewalski’s horses’ diet was identified as mixed, defined by grazing during the summer and mixed feeding during the winter. The currently reintroduced population, however, follows a year-round grazing diet.
  • The researchers attribute the shift in dietary behavior to the decrease in human hunting pressure, reflecting a positive societal change in attitudes towards the species.

Implications

  • The result of the study suggested that the Przewalski’s horses’ reintroduction has allowed them to utilize the grass-dominated pastures of the Gobi alongside local communities and their livestock.
  • In contrast, the pre-extinction horses were forced into less productive habitats dominated by browse due to human hunting pressures.
  • Hence, the study indicates that societal attitudes and human activity can significantly impact the survival and adaptation processes of reintroduced animal species.

Cite This Article

APA
Kaczensky P, Burnik Šturm M, Sablin MV, Voigt CC, Smith S, Ganbaatar O, Balint B, Walzer C, Spasskaya NN. (2017). Stable isotopes reveal diet shift from pre-extinction to reintroduced Przewalski’s horses. Sci Rep, 7(1), 5950. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-05329-6

Publication

Scientific reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
NlmUniqueID: 101563288
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 7
Issue: 1
Pages: 5950
PII: 5950

Researcher Affiliations

Kaczensky, Petra
  • Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, 1160, Vienna, Austria. petra.kaczensky@nina.no.
  • Norwegian Institute for Nature Research - NINA, P.O. Box 5685 Sluppen, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway. petra.kaczensky@nina.no.
Burnik Šturm, Martina
  • Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, 1160, Vienna, Austria. martina.burnik-sturm@boku.ac.at.
Sablin, Mikhail V
  • Zoological Institute RAS, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Voigt, Christian C
  • Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany.
Smith, Steve
  • Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Vienna, 1160, Austria.
Ganbaatar, Oyunsaikhan
  • Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area Administration, Takhin Tal, Gobi Altai Province, Mongolia.
  • Department of Zoology, School of Biology and Biotechnology, National University of Mongolia, 14200, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Balint, Boglarka
  • Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Vienna, 1160, Austria.
Walzer, Chris
  • Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
Spasskaya, Natalia N
  • Zoological Museum of Moscow Lomonosow State University, Bolshaya Nikitskaya Str. 6, 125009, Moscow, Russia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Carbon Isotopes
  • China
  • Diet
  • Extinction, Biological
  • Geography
  • Horses / physiology
  • Isotope Labeling
  • Mongolia
  • Seasons

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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