Stable isotope data indicate origins of mislabelled historical bird specimens
Natural history specimens provide valuable insights across diverse research fields, but those needing more accurate metadata have limited scientific value. We applied stable isotope analysis to investigate the origin of 19 th century Atlantic Forest bird specimens attributed to the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco, which are the only records for certain species in a highly threatened biodiversity hotspot. Carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotope analyses indicate that these specimens were collected in Amazonia, not the Atlantic Forest. Stable isotope analysis is a promising tool for verifying specimen origins, enhancing their scientific value and resolving biogeographical questions.
Authors
- Luís Fábio Silveira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2576-7657)
- Jason Newton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7594-3693)
- Ana Beatriz Navarro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1629-7887)
- Alexander Charles Lees (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7603-9081)
- Rafael Dantas Lima (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5583-3902)
Institutions
- Manchester Metropolitan University (GB)
- The University of Texas at El Paso (US)
- São Paulo Museum of Art (BR)
- Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Ibis
- Published
- 2025-10-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.70001
- Primary Topic
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico