Journal article

Publication year: 2010

Pages: 875-878

Journal: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry

Volume number: 24

Issue number: 7

ISSN: 0951-4198

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.4462

Publisher: Wiley

Abstract: 
Bird feathers are employed in a wide range of carbon and nitrogen isotope studies relating to diet and migration. Feathers are chemically inert with respect to carbon and nitrogen, after synthesis. It has always been assumed that feathers show isotope values characteristic of keratin, a fibrous structural protein from which they are formed. Little attention has been paid to other components of feathers such as melanin or carotenoids. Melanin is synthesized from tyrosine, which is depleted in both (13)C and (15)N. We compared isotope values of coeval black and white feathers in four different species. Black feather parts were in all cases significantly depleted in (13)C relative to white feather parts but in most species no clear trend was discernable for (15)N. We suggest that additional evaluation may be required to characterize the carbon and nitrogen isotope contribution of feather pigments like carotenoids. Care should be taken in future stable isotope studies when comparing differently coloured feathers.

Harvard Citation style: Michalik, A., McGill, R., Furness, R., Eggers, T., van Noordwijk, H. and Quillfeldt, P. (2010) Black and white - does melanin change the bulk carbon and nitrogen isotope values of feathers?, Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 24(7), pp. 875-878. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.4462

APA Citation style: Michalik, A., McGill, R., Furness, R., Eggers, T., van Noordwijk, H., & Quillfeldt, P. (2010). Black and white - does melanin change the bulk carbon and nitrogen isotope values of feathers?. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 24(7), 875-878. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.4462