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Tracking 4000 years of raptor diets through isotope analysis reveals urban scavenging with implications for conservation
Journal of Archaeological Science ( IF 2.6 ) Pub Date : 2025-01-15 , DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106147
Juliette Waterman, Stuart Black, Naomi Sykes, William F. Mills, Sean Doherty, Hannah Britton, Riley Smallman, Alison Sheridan, Andrew C. Kitchener, Mark D.E. Fellowes

Birds of prey (‘raptors’) often consume anthropogenic foods and can be closely associated with human settlements. In medieval Britain, birds of prey were commensal animals, especially in towns where biological waste was abundant. However, the antiquity of this relationship has not been well explored. In this study, we used stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) in bone collagen to investigate the dietary niches of red kites Milvus milvus, common buzzards Buteo buteo and white-tailed eagles Haliaeetus albicilla of Chalcolithic or Early Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and medieval periods from archaeological sites across southern and midland England and in Orkney (Scotland). Stable isotope values of raptor bones recovered from Iron Age Danebury, Roman Winchester, and medieval Oxford were consistent with the exploitation of livestock waste from food produced for human inhabitants. Combining all samples, bone collagen δ13C values were significantly less negative and δ15N values significantly higher in red kites and common buzzards from archaeological sites across Iron Age, Roman and medieval England than those of modern birds (dating from the late 20th and 21st centuries), and both species showed greater variability among individuals. The diets of historic birds may include prey from higher trophic levels and reflect a more generalist strategy. These data are consistent with the consumption of larger quantities of anthropogenic food waste including carrion from scavengers and slaughtered and farmed livestock animals, which is reduced in volume in today's landscapes. Archaeological raptors may also have exploited a wider range of scavenged or hunted prey in the absence of rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, a key prey item for modern-day raptors.

中文翻译:


通过同位素分析追踪 4000 年的猛禽饮食揭示了城市拾荒对保护的影响



猛禽(“猛禽”)经常食用人为食物,可能与人类居住区密切相关。在中世纪的英国,猛禽是共生动物,尤其是在生物废物丰富的城镇。然而,这种关系的古老性并没有得到很好的探索。在这项研究中,我们使用骨胶原蛋白中碳 (δ13C) 和氮 (δ15N) 的稳定同位素来研究铜石器时代或青铜时代早期、铁器时代、罗马和中世纪时期的红鸢 Milvus milvus、普通秃鹰 Buteo buteo 和白尾鹰 Haliaeetus albicilla 的饮食生态位来自英格兰南部和中部地区以及奥克尼(苏格兰)的考古遗址。从铁器时代的丹伯里、罗马温彻斯特和中世纪牛津发现的猛禽骨骼的稳定同位素值与从人类居民生产的食物中开采牲畜粪便的情况一致。结合所有样本,铁器时代、罗马和中世纪英格兰考古遗址的红鸢和普通秃鹰的骨胶原 δ13C 值显著低于现代鸟类(可追溯到 20 世纪末和 21 世纪),并且这两个物种在个体间表现出更大的变异性。历史鸟类的饮食可能包括来自较高营养级的猎物,并反映了更通用的策略。这些数据与大量人为食物垃圾的消费是一致的,包括来自拾荒者以及屠宰和养殖牲畜的腐肉,在当今的景观中,这些食物的数量减少了。在没有兔子的情况下,考古猛禽也可能利用了更广泛的拾荒或猎杀猎物 Oryctolagus cuniculus,这是现代猛禽的主要猎物。
更新日期:2025-01-15
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