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The stable isotope composition of organic and inorganic fossils in lake sediment records: current understanding, challenges, and future directions

The stable isotope composition of organic and inorganic fossils in lake sediment records: current understanding, challenges, and future directions
The stable isotope composition of organic and inorganic fossils in lake sediment records: current understanding, challenges, and future directions

This paper provides an overview of stable isotope analysis (H, C, N, O, Si) of the macro- and microscopic remains from aquatic organisms found in lake sediment records and their application in (palaeo)environmental science. Aquatic organisms, including diatoms, macrophytes, invertebrates, and fish, can produce sufficiently robust remains that preserve well as fossils and can be identified in lake sediment records. Stable isotope analyses of these remains can then provide valuable insights into habitat-specific biogeochemistry, feeding ecology, but also on climatic and hydrological changes in and around lakes. Since these analyses focus on the remains of known and identified organisms, they can provide more specific and detailed information on past ecosystem, food web and environmental changes affecting different compartments of lake ecosystems than analyses on bulk sedimentary organic matter or carbonate samples. We review applications of these types of analyses in palaeoclimatology, palaeohydrology, and palaeoecology. Interpretation of the environmental ‘signal’ provided by taxon-specific stable isotope analysis requires a thorough understanding of the ecology and phenology of the organism groups involved. Growth, metabolism, diet, feeding strategy, migration, taphonomy and several other processes can lead to isotope fractionation or otherwise influence the stable isotope signatures of the remains from aquatic organisms. This paper includes a review of the (modern) calibration, culturing and modelling studies used to quantify the extent to which these factors influence stable isotope values and provides an outlook for future research and methodological developments for the different examined fossil groups.

Diatoms, Inorganic remains, Invertebrates, Lake sediment, Organic remains, Ostracods, Stable isotopes
0277-3791
154-176
van Hardenbroek, M.
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Chakraborty, A.
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Davies, K.L.
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Harding, P.
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Heiri, O.
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Henderson, A.C.G.
7721d939-f56e-4f30-9aaf-e137ca4257bc
Holmes, J.A.
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Lasher, G.E.
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Leng, M.J.
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Panizzo, V.N.
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Roberts, L.
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Schilder, J.
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Trueman, C.N.
d00d3bd6-a47b-4d47-89ae-841c3d506205
Wooller, M.J.
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van Hardenbroek, M.
7ddff57e-78f7-444a-a3fc-946ef7f7bbfc
Chakraborty, A.
de29bd52-9e84-400d-ab1f-3d41f9888c24
Davies, K.L.
c4fd3544-262e-463f-9cc8-fc2c911aa269
Harding, P.
b4143ce5-f949-4d06-8315-31b77621f139
Heiri, O.
21199b62-05e6-48ca-ac1e-a4665e7e6801
Henderson, A.C.G.
7721d939-f56e-4f30-9aaf-e137ca4257bc
Holmes, J.A.
d45c43cd-b315-4dc6-8aba-7ecbe809e31b
Lasher, G.E.
227889b2-e9fd-46e0-9399-622d580c80ec
Leng, M.J.
71755042-2b5f-44a6-8420-019f13a4a946
Panizzo, V.N.
c0d1f452-308a-4c27-9b4e-bc8bdb30f2f0
Roberts, L.
89446a66-dba4-4ca5-9c0e-5c53f108449a
Schilder, J.
2bcce33e-a802-4faa-8084-b10987e7b553
Trueman, C.N.
d00d3bd6-a47b-4d47-89ae-841c3d506205
Wooller, M.J.
7d3bfe9a-0e14-457f-a1ce-f9aa7e5ec284

van Hardenbroek, M., Chakraborty, A., Davies, K.L., Harding, P., Heiri, O., Henderson, A.C.G., Holmes, J.A., Lasher, G.E., Leng, M.J., Panizzo, V.N., Roberts, L., Schilder, J., Trueman, C.N. and Wooller, M.J. (2018) The stable isotope composition of organic and inorganic fossils in lake sediment records: current understanding, challenges, and future directions. Quaternary Science Reviews, 196, 154-176. (doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.08.003).

Record type: Article

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of stable isotope analysis (H, C, N, O, Si) of the macro- and microscopic remains from aquatic organisms found in lake sediment records and their application in (palaeo)environmental science. Aquatic organisms, including diatoms, macrophytes, invertebrates, and fish, can produce sufficiently robust remains that preserve well as fossils and can be identified in lake sediment records. Stable isotope analyses of these remains can then provide valuable insights into habitat-specific biogeochemistry, feeding ecology, but also on climatic and hydrological changes in and around lakes. Since these analyses focus on the remains of known and identified organisms, they can provide more specific and detailed information on past ecosystem, food web and environmental changes affecting different compartments of lake ecosystems than analyses on bulk sedimentary organic matter or carbonate samples. We review applications of these types of analyses in palaeoclimatology, palaeohydrology, and palaeoecology. Interpretation of the environmental ‘signal’ provided by taxon-specific stable isotope analysis requires a thorough understanding of the ecology and phenology of the organism groups involved. Growth, metabolism, diet, feeding strategy, migration, taphonomy and several other processes can lead to isotope fractionation or otherwise influence the stable isotope signatures of the remains from aquatic organisms. This paper includes a review of the (modern) calibration, culturing and modelling studies used to quantify the extent to which these factors influence stable isotope values and provides an outlook for future research and methodological developments for the different examined fossil groups.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 2 August 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 9 August 2018
Published date: 15 September 2018
Keywords: Diatoms, Inorganic remains, Invertebrates, Lake sediment, Organic remains, Ostracods, Stable isotopes

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 426052
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/426052
ISSN: 0277-3791
PURE UUID: e8de13c2-67d6-4081-b800-afa20181673f
ORCID for C.N. Trueman: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4995-736X

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Date deposited: 09 Nov 2018 17:30
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 02:58

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Contributors

Author: M. van Hardenbroek
Author: A. Chakraborty
Author: K.L. Davies
Author: P. Harding
Author: O. Heiri
Author: A.C.G. Henderson
Author: J.A. Holmes
Author: G.E. Lasher
Author: M.J. Leng
Author: V.N. Panizzo
Author: L. Roberts
Author: J. Schilder
Author: C.N. Trueman ORCID iD
Author: M.J. Wooller

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