Title
Stable isotope ecology of the common hippopotamus
Author(s)
Cerling, T.E.; Harris, J.M.; Hart, J.A.; Kaleme, P.; Klingel, H.; Leakey, M.G.; Levin, N.E.; Lewison, R.L.; Passey. B.H.
Published
2008
Publisher
Journal of Zoology
Abstract
The diet of African hippopotamids can be documented through stable carbon isotope ratios (13C/12C) analyses of enamel and other tissues. The common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius is widely assumed to be a pure grazer; however, the 13C/12C ratios of modern H. amphibius show a higher fraction of dietary C3 biomass than estimated from traditional observations. Isotope profiles of modern hair and modern tooth enamel confirm that H. amphibius has a variable diet in both the short- (seasonal) and long- (sub-decadal) time scales. Isotopic analyses of extant mammals from the same parks as the analyzed hippos provide comparative examples for diets of C3-browsers and C4-grazers. Oxygen isotope ratios (18O/16O) show that the hippo is consistently the most 18O-depleted mammal in any one ecosystem; this directly reflects its semi-aquatic habitat. © 2008 The Authors.
Keywords
diet; ecology; enamel; isotopic analysis; mammal; stable isotope; tooth; Hippopotamidae; Hippopotamus amphibius; Mammalia
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