Current global warming affects the composition and dynamics of mammalian communities and can increase extinction risk. Paleoecological research can clarify how past climates and environments have changed over time and test ecological hypotheses of relevance to neontologists. Specifically, the fossil record provides a record from which long-term responses of climate change can be determined. Stable isotopes preserved in fossil mammal teeth are used to assess dietary niche partitioning, the magnitude of ancient floral change, relative aridity, relative seasonality, and relationships between these factors during the late Cenozoic. Previous work has focused on clarifying community level responses to interglacial warming during the Pleistocene. This work builds on that body of work by specifically examining how individuals and closely related taxa partition their niches seasonally over time, with an emphasis on mixed feeders. Specifically, carbon isotopes from serial samples of mixed feeders within the same species are compared to assess if individuals have disparate dietary strategies. Additionally, serial samples from mixed feeding taxa within the same family are examined to assess if closely related taxa partition their niches differently from one another.
Results/Conclusions