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Compatibility of preparatory procedures for the analysis of cortisol concentrations and stable isotope (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) ratios: a test on brown bear hair.

ABSTRACT: The measurement of naturally occurring glucocorticoids and stable isotopes of several elements has gained importance in wildlife studies in recent decades and opened a myriad of ecological applications. Cortisol and stable isotopes equilibrate in animal tissues over periods of integration related to the growth rate of the tissue, providing information reflecting systemic cortisol secretion and dietary intake. Sample preparation shares the common step of first cleaning the sample of external contamination. However, it is not well understood how different solvents used in sample preparation affect isotopic and cortisol values, and whether it is safe to follow the same procedures for both measures to optimize analyses of the same sample. We conducted an experiment to compare different preparation protocols for the analysis of cortisol concentrations and stable carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotope ratios in hair. Hair samples from 12 brown bears (Ursus arctos) were each divided into five aliquots; two aliquots were rinsed with a 2:1 chloroform:methanol (v/v) mixture with one aliquot ground prior to cortisol analysis and the other left intact for stable isotope analyses; two aliquots were washed with methanol with one aliquot ground prior to cortisol analysis and the other left intact for stable isotope analyses; and one aliquot washed with methanol and ground prior to stable isotope analyses. The cortisol, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values remained consistent following all treatments. Our results indicate that hair samples rinsed with a 2:1 chloroform:methanol mixture or washed with methanol can be used for both types of analyses. Further, hair that has been ground in a standard hair cortisol procedure can also be used for stable isotope analysis. This information is important for improving laboratory efficiency and compatibility of procedures used for wildlife physiological ecology studies where concurrent measurements of cortisol and stable isotopes in hair are required.

SUBMITTER: Sergiel A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5569930 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Aerial insectivorous birds have suffered steep population declines in North America over the last 60 years. A lack of information on migratory connectivity between breeding and non-breeding grounds for these species limits our ability to interpret factors affecting their population-specific trends. We determined likely Latin American non-breeding regions of Bank (Riparia riparia), Barn (Hirundo rustica) and Cliff (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) swallow from populations across their breeding ranges. We used predicted feather hydrogen (δ2Hf) and carbon (δ13Cf) isoscapes for winter-grown feathers to indicate areas of highest probability of moult origin and incorporated these results into a cluster analysis to determine likely broad non-breeding regions. We also assessed variation in wing length among populations to determine the potential for this metric to differentiate population moult origins. We then investigated patterns of multi-isotopic (δ2Hf, δ13Cf, δ15Nf) and wing-length niche occupancy by quantifying niche size and overlap among populations under the assumption that broad niches were consistent with low within-species migratory connectivity and narrow and non-overlapping niches with higher connectivity. Multivariate assignment identified different non-breeding regions and potential clusters of moult origin generally corresponding to Central America and northern South America, eastern and south-central South America, and the western and southern part of that continent, with variation within and among populations and species. Separate niche space indicated different wintering habitat or areas used by species or populations whereas niche overlap indicated only potential spatial similarity. Wing length varied significantly among populations by species, being longer in the west and north for Bank and Cliff Swallow and longer in eastern Canadian Barn Swallow populations. Barn Swallow occupied consistently larger isotopic and wing length niche space than the other species. Comparisons among populations across species showed variable isotopic and wing-length niche overlap generally being greater within breeding regions and lower between western and eastern breeding populations supporting a general North American continental divide for all species with generally low migratory connectivity for all species. We present a novel approach to assessing connectivity using inexpensive and broad isotopic approaches that provides the basis for hypothesis testing using more spatially explicit expensive techniques.

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Compatibility of preparatory procedures for the analysis of cortisol concentrations and stable isotope (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) ratios: a test on brown bear hair.

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OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

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Dataset Information

Compatibility of preparatory procedures for the analysis of cortisol concentrations and stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) ratios: a test on brown bear hair.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets

Compatibility of preparatory procedures for the analysis of cortisol concentrations and stable isotope (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) ratios: a test on brown bear hair.