Abstract
Game animals, such as the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), have long been used as bioindicators of environmental contamination. Most ecotoxicological research on ungulates has focused on trace element content in soft tissues and antlers. Also, only fragmentary information exists about whether and how trace element concentrations vary with the age of wild-living animals and whether these age-related patterns are similar for different types of tissues. The purpose of this study was to measure concentrations of seven trace metals (barium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, strontium, zinc) and fluoride in bone and teeth of roe deer and to determine whether significant variation is evident with individual age. For this purpose, we collected permanent molars and fragments of mandible bone from more than 130 female roe deer in Central Poland. We found that concentrations of four trace elements (barium, manganese, zinc, and fluoride) in teeth of deer showed positive linear relationships with individual age. No such trends were recorded for trace element content in bone. We suggest that these striking differences in age-related patterns of trace element bioaccumulation between bone and permanent teeth of roe deer might be explained by higher turnover rate and constant remodelling of bone tissue. The results suggest that analysis of permanent teeth may be useful for assessing throughout-life intoxication by environmental pollution in the roe deer and possibly in other mammal species. Our study reinforces the need to carefully account for age-related variation in ecotoxicological research on wild-living animals.
Highlights
Technological developments and changes that occur in the modern world have a significant impact on natural environment
The results suggest that analysis of permanent teeth may be useful for assessing throughoutlife intoxication by environmental pollution in the roe deer and possibly in other mammal species
Extensive ecotoxicological research has been performed on deer antlers (Sawicka-Kapusta 1979; Tataruch 1995; Kierdorf and Kierdorf 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003; Pokorny 2006; Pokorny et al 2009; Jabłońska et al 2016), possibly due to wide availability of hunting trophies. Other hard tissues, such as skeletal bones and teeth, have been much less researched (Maňkovská 1980; Zaccaroni et al 2008; Sobota et al 2011; Maňkovská et al 2012). It remains unknown whether concentrations of trace elements in tissues change over the life cycle of roe deer and whether these age-related trends, if present, are similar for different types of tissues
Summary
Technological developments and changes that occur in the modern world have a significant impact on natural environment. Extensive ecotoxicological research has been performed on deer antlers (Sawicka-Kapusta 1979; Tataruch 1995; Kierdorf and Kierdorf 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003; Pokorny 2006; Pokorny et al 2009; Jabłońska et al 2016), possibly due to wide availability of hunting trophies Other hard tissues, such as skeletal bones and teeth, have been much less researched (Maňkovská 1980; Zaccaroni et al 2008; Sobota et al 2011; Maňkovská et al 2012). It remains unknown whether concentrations of trace elements in tissues change over the life cycle of roe deer and whether these age-related trends, if present, are similar for different types of tissues. We had no quantitative data on environmental pollution in our sampling area, the trace elements chosen for this study are all toxic and potentially toxic, and they are among those in greatest commercial use or emission, likely exerting ecotoxicological effects on humans and wildlife (Wong et al 2006)
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