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Pleistocene to recent dietary shifts in California condors

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Chamberlain, C Page, Waldbauer, Jacob R, Fox-Dobbs, Kena, Newsome, Seth D, Koch, Paul L, Smith, D R, Church, M E, Chamberlain, S D, Sorenson, Kelly J, and Risebrough, R, Pleistocene to recent dietary shifts in California condors: .

Summary

We used carbon and nitrogen isotopes to investigate changes in the diet of California condors from the Pleistocene to the recent. During the Pleistocene, condors from California fed on both terrestrial megafauna and marine mammals. Early accounts reported condors feeding on the carcasses of marine mammals, but by the late 1700s, condor diets had shifted predominantly to terrestrial animals, following the commercial harvesting of marine mammals and the development of cattle ranching on land. At present, dairy calves provided by humans significantly augment condor diet, constituting an artificial support of the current population. Reestablishing a marine mammal component in the condor diet may be an effective strategy for fostering viable [...]

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  • Upper Colorado River Basin

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From Source - Mendeley RIS Export <br> On - Wed Sep 19 08:08:31 MDT 2012

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Title Citation Pleistocene to recent dietary shifts in California condors

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