Download

Download Full Text (687 KB)

Date of Graduation

5-2025

Description

"The connection between mammalian behavior in national parks and human-driven environmental change is tenuous. National parks are often considered the last vestiges of natural space, yet they are created and maintained by humans. South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) within the southern East African Rift is a microcosm of this global conundrum and is also a region where stable isotope data is sparce. Understanding the mammalian diets of mammals in the SLNP via carbon and oxygen stable isotopes in teeth will provide a means of understanding variation in one aspect of mammal behavior that may be affected by changing animal-human relationships. Here, we present mammalian carbon and oxygen stable isotopes from enamel among large mammals including the hippopotamus, elephants, impala, and buffalo within South Luangwa National Park (n = 32 individuals). Based on carbon isotopes, elephants (Loxodonta africana) show evidence of more exclusive browsing than is common in regions like Mozambique. Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) are grazers, while impala (Aepyceros melampus) are mixed feeders, which is common across parks in Southern Africa. Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) are classified as both grazers and mixed feeders. Oxygen isotopes in hippopotamus specimens are generally low but varies by more than 2%. These stable isotopes reveal animal interactions with the environment, but we will also interpret this ecological variation within the context of conservation practice and climate change. This ecological information has implications for human evolution, a discipline which relies heavily on isotope baselines from national parks, and conservation ecology.

Publication Date

2025

Document Type

Book

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Biology

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biological Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Villasenor, Amelia

Disciplines

Life Sciences

Keywords

Natural Science

Ecological Interactions of Large Mammals in Luangwa, Zambia

Included in

Life Sciences Commons

Share

COinS