Animals exhibit enriched heavy nitrogen and carbon isotopes relative to plants
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 93/100
Animals consistently show enriched levels of heavy carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes relative to their plant or dietary sources due to trophic fractionation.
Evidence for · 2
Trophic level isotopic enrichment of carbon and nitrogen in bone collagen: case studies from recent and ancient terrestrial ecosystems
2003 · cited by 816
This study demonstrates that consumers exhibit positive isotopic enrichment values for both carbon and nitrogen relative to their prey, consistent with the claim.
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More for · 1
The effect of dietary nitrogen content on trophic level <sup>15</sup>N enrichment
2000 · cited by 345
This controlled laboratory study documents trophic level 15N enrichment in animals relative to their algal diet.