Dentine oxygen isotopes (δ (18)O) as a proxy for odontocete distributions and movements.

Spatial variation in marine oxygen isotope ratios (δ (18)O) resulting from differential evaporation rates and precipitation inputs is potentially useful for characterizing marine mammal distributions and tracking movements across δ (18)O gradients. Dentine hydroxyapatite contains carbonate and phosphate that precipitate in oxygen isotopic equilibrium with body water, which in odontocetes closely tracks the isotopic composition of ambient water. To test whether dentine oxygen isotope composition reliably records that of ambient water and can therefore serve as a proxy for odontocete distribution and movement patterns, we measured δ (18)O values of dentine structural carbonate (δ (18) OSC) and phosphate (δ (18) OP) of seven odontocete species (n = 55 individuals) from regional marine water bodies spanning a surface water δ (18)O range of several per mil.