5:15 PM - 6:45 PM
[HTT16-P12] Interannual Variation in Dietary Habits of the Koshima Population of Japanese Macaques Based on Stable Isotope Ratio Analyses
Keywords:stable isotope, dietary analysis, japanese macaque, social structure
Dietary analysis using stable isotope ratios is a widely used method in ecology because of its advantages such as the ability to treat objects that are difficult to observe directly, the ability to track long-term dietary history, and the possibility of non-invasive sampling. In this study, we attempted to clarify the relationship between feeding habits and social structure on an individual scale using this analytical method on the identified Japanese macaque group.
We collected body hair and food resource samples from 2021 to 2023 from the Koshima population of Japanese macaques in Miyazaki Prefecture. We analyzed stable isotope ratios for the three elements carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. As a result, isotope ratio fluctuations were detected within the population, especially in the sulfur isotope ratio, which has not been studied before. Furthermore, we attempted to estimate each individual's diet using an isotopic mixture model and to consider the relationship between the sex, age, ancestry, and social structure of these individuals, such as dominance and inferiority relationships.
We collected body hair and food resource samples from 2021 to 2023 from the Koshima population of Japanese macaques in Miyazaki Prefecture. We analyzed stable isotope ratios for the three elements carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. As a result, isotope ratio fluctuations were detected within the population, especially in the sulfur isotope ratio, which has not been studied before. Furthermore, we attempted to estimate each individual's diet using an isotopic mixture model and to consider the relationship between the sex, age, ancestry, and social structure of these individuals, such as dominance and inferiority relationships.