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Article: The diverse dietary profiles of MIS 3 cave bears from the Romanian Carpathians: insights from stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis

Palaeontology Cover Image - Volume 61 Part 2
Publication: Palaeontology
Volume: 61
Part: 2
Publication Date: March 2018
Page(s): 209 219
Author(s): Marius Robu, Jonathan G. Wynn, Ionuţ C. Mirea, Alexandru Petculescu, Marius Kenesz, Cristina M. Puşcaş, Marius Vlaicu, Erik Trinkaus, and Silviu Constantin
Addition Information

How to Cite

ROBU, M., WYNN, J.G., MIREA, I.C., PETCULESCU, A., KENESZ, M., PUşCAş, C.M., VLAICU, M., TRINKAUS, E., CONSTANTIN, S. 2018. The diverse dietary profiles of MIS 3 cave bears from the Romanian Carpathians: insights from stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis . Palaeontology, 61, 2, 209-219. DOI: 10.1111/pala.12338

Author Information

  • Marius Robu - ‘Emil Racoviţă’ Institute of Speleology Romanian Academy Calea 13 Septembrie 13 050711 Bucharest Romania
  • Jonathan G. Wynn - School of Geosciences University of South Florida 4202 East Fowler Avenue, NES107 Tampa FL 33620 USA
  • Ionuţ C. Mirea - ‘Emil Racoviţă’ Institute of Speleology Romanian Academy Center for Geochronology & Paleoclimate Frumoasă 31 010986 Bucharest Romania
  • Ionuţ C. Mirea - Faculty of Biology–Geology Babeș‐Bolyai University 1 Kogălniceanu Street 400084 Cluj‐ Napoca Romania
  • Alexandru Petculescu - ‘Emil Racoviţă’ Institute of Speleology Romanian Academy Center for Geochronology & Paleoclimate Frumoasă 31 010986 Bucharest Romania
  • Marius Kenesz - ‘Emil Racoviţă’ Institute of Speleology Cluj Branch Romanian Academy Clinicilor 5 400006 Cluj‐Napoca Romania
  • Cristina M. Puşcaş - School of Geosciences University of South Florida 4202 East Fowler Avenue, NES107 Tampa FL 33620 USA
  • Cristina M. Puşcaş - Institute of Geology & Mineralogy University of Cologne Greinstrasse 4–6 Koln Germany
  • Marius Vlaicu - ‘Emil Racoviţă’ Institute of Speleology Romanian Academy Calea 13 Septembrie 13 050711 Bucharest Romania
  • Erik Trinkaus - Department of Anthropology Washington University Saint Louis MO 63130 USA
  • Silviu Constantin - ‘Emil Racoviţă’ Institute of Speleology Romanian Academy Center for Geochronology & Paleoclimate Frumoasă 31 010986 Bucharest Romania

Publication History

  • Issue published online: 08 February 2018
  • Manuscript Accepted: 07 October 2017
  • Manuscript Received: 28 April 2017

Funded By

Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation. Grant Numbers: PN‐II‐RU‐TE‐2014‐4‐2301, PCE 197/2016

Online Version Hosted By

Wiley Online Library
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Abstract

Late Pleistocene European cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) have been considered to be largely vegetarian, although stable isotope data (δ13C and δ15N values) from the Romanian Carpathians has suggested considerable dietary variation. Here we evaluate previous and additional adult cave bear isotopic data from four Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3) sites in the Carpathians. Peştera Urşilor (= 35), Peştera Cioclovina (= 32), Peştera Muierilor (= 8), and Peştera cu Oase (= 72) provide both a dichotomy between samples suggesting vegetarian diets (from Cioclovina and Muierilor) and more omnivorous diets (from Urşilor and Oase), and considerable isotopic variation within samples from each site. While an inference of a strictly vegetarian diet may apply to groups that lived in ecosystems which restricted the available animal protein for these large ursids, the within and between sample isotopic variation among the Carpathian cave bears indicates considerable flexibility in their sources of protein and hence in their dietary regimes. In addition, developmental assessment of Cioclovina isotopic profiles (neonates, juveniles, sub‐adults and adults) provides patterns of transfer of stable isotope signatures throughout immature life for both δ13C and δ15N (increase and decrease, respectively), whereas those from Urşilor show little developmental shift.

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