Foraging history of individual elephants using DNA metabarcoding

Royal Society Open Science · 5 authors, 7 centres

AI SUMMARY

FIDELITY 100%

This summary was generated by AI from a single paper. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not clinical advice. Verify against the source before acting on it.

AGENT 01 · STRUCTURED SUMMARY

TRACE TO SOURCE

“

TL;DR

Researchers used DNA metabarcoding and stable isotopes on fecal samples to reconstruct the dietary histories of wild elephants in Kenya, finding that family bonds promote dietary cohesion during dry seasons and that dominant families show more individual dietary variation than subdominant ones.

Full summary

744 CHARS

This study used DNA metabarcoding and carbon stable isotope analysis of archived fecal samples to reconstruct high-resolution dietary timeseries for two elephant family groups in Kenya. The analysis detected at least 367 dietary plant taxa, with seasonal patterns showing increased consumption of C₄ grasses during wet periods and a greater reliance on other plants during dry seasons. A key finding was that dietary cohesion (similarity between individuals) was generally stronger within the subdominant 'Artists' family compared to the dominant 'Royals' family. The authors suggest this greater individuality in the dominant family could reflect divergent nutritional needs related to calf dependency or priority access to preferred habitats.

STUDY TYPE

other

SPECIALTY

animal science

SUMMARISED BY

AI pipeline

FIDELITY CHECK

100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10320352

Foraging history of individual elephants using DNA metabarcoding

Royal Society Open Science

READ THE FULL PAPER

ABSTRACT

Individual animals should adjust diets according to food availability. We used DNA metabarcoding to construct individual-level dietary timeseries for elephants from two family groups in Kenya varying in habitat use, social position and reproductive status. We detected at least 367 dietary plant taxa, with up to 137 unique plant sequences in one fecal sample. Results matched well-established trends: elephants tended to eat more grass when it rained and other plants when dry. Nested within these switches from ‘grazing’ to ‘browsing’ strategies, dietary DNA revealed seasonal shifts in food richness, composition and overlap between individuals. Elephants of both families converged on relatively cohesive diets in dry seasons but varied in their maintenance of cohesion during wet seasons. Dietary cohesion throughout the timeseries of the subdominant ‘Artists’ family was stronger and more consistently positive compared to the dominant ‘Royals’ family. The greater degree of individuality within the dominant family's timeseries could reflect more divergent nutritional requirements associated with calf dependency and/or priority access to preferred habitats. Whereas theory predicts that individuals should specialize on different foods under resource scarcity, our data suggest family bonds may promote cohesion and foster the emergence of diverse feeding cultures reflecting links between social behaviour and nutrition.

CITATION EXPORT

Brian A. Gill, George Wittemyer, Thure E. Cerling et al.. Foraging history of individual elephants using DNA metabarcoding. Royal Society Open Science. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.230337

AUTHORS

5 · 7 CENTRES

Brian A. Gill, George Wittemyer, Thure E. Cerling, Paul M. Musili, Tyler R. Kartzinel

1 Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
2 Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
3 Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
4 Save the Elephants, Nairobi, Kenya
5 Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
6 Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
7 Botany Department, East African Herbarium, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya