Content of 13С and 15N Isotopes in Bone Collagen of Geographical, Age, and Sex Groups of the Ural Cave Bear (Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae, Ursus (Spelaearctos) kanivetz Verestchagin, 1973).

Abstract

Data on the content of ¹³C and ¹⁵N isotopes in the collagen of bones of the Ural cave bear (Ursus (S.) kanivetz Verestchagin, 1973) from the North and Middle Urals were analyzed. The bones date from the first half of MIS 3. The bones of newborn individuals, individuals aged 1 year, males and females aged 2, 3, and 4 years, and older than 4 years were studied. Differences in δ¹³С values between age, sex, and geographical samples are not significant. With age, the value of δ¹⁵N significantly decreases, which is associated with weaning from milk nutrition to independent nutrition. The proportion of meat food in the diet of adult bears in the Middle Urals was higher than in the diet of adult bears in the North Urals. There are no noticeable differences in isotope signatures between males and females of different ages. The large cave bears of the Urals and Europe had a similar type of diet.