The paleodiet and paleoenvironmental context of two extinct species from Tenerife island, one giant rat Canariomys bravoi and one giant lizard Gallotia goliath, have been investigated using carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of fossil bone collagen. Preliminary to this study, a calibration of the isotopic variations of bone collagen from modern Rat Rattus rattus, Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus and Lizard Gallotia galotti relative to environmental conditions on Tenerife Islands has been attempted. No clear relationship could be found between collagen δ13C and δ15N values and aridity; the only relevant factors seem to be seashore proximity for rat, and the relative amount of C3 and CAM plants. It seems that anthropic activities have interfered with the expected relationships between collagen isotopic compositions and environmental conditions. Most fossil specimens yielded well preserved collagen. The isotopic composition of giant rat and giant lizard collagen suggest a purely C3 environment, possibly more humid than today on Tenerife. Large ranges of nitrogen isotopic compositions, especially within giant rats, may be due to local environmental conditions. Further work is needed in order to provide more valuable paleobiological information in order to better understand the role of environmental factors in the evolution and extinction of insular endemic species on Tenerife.
Contribution of collagen stable isotope biogeochemistry to the paleobiology of extinct endemic vertebrates from Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)
Reprints and Corporate Permissions
Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?
To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:
Academic Permissions
Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?
Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:
If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.
Related research
People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.
Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.
Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.