- SUERC
Rankine Avenue
East Kilbride
G75 0QF
UK
Jason Newton
University of Glasgow, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Department Member
- Since 2002 I have been managing the East Kilbride node of the NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility. The Faci... moreSince 2002 I have been managing the East Kilbride node of the NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility. The Facility exists to provide access for scientists in the biological, environmental and other sciences to training and research facilities, offering an integrated and comprehensive suite of stable isotope techniques and expertise. Collaborative research projects are encouraged, and there is a strong emphasis on the training of visiting workers. Our node specialises in animal ecology proposals, the Lancaster node manages plant ecology projects, and the Bristol node specialises in applications involving the mass spectrometric and separation of organic compounds derived from biological and environmental matrices.
Those interested in using the facility should contact me in the first instance to discuss the application of stable isotopes. Suitable projects will then be subject to biannual peer review.
Further information can be found on SUERC's NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility Web Page.edit
Incrementally grown, metabolically inert tissues such as fish otoliths provide biochemical records that can used to infer behavior and physiology throughout the lifetime of the individual. Organic tissues are particularly useful as the... more
Incrementally grown, metabolically inert tissues such as fish otoliths provide biochemical records that can used to infer behavior and physiology throughout the lifetime of the individual. Organic tissues are particularly useful as the stable isotope composition of the organic component can provide information about diet, trophic level and location. Unfortunately, inert, incrementally grown organic tissues are relatively uncommon. The vertebrate eye lens, however, is formed via sequential deposition of protein-filled fiber cells, which are subsequently metabolically inert. Lenses therefore have the potential to serve as biochemical data recorders capturing life-long variations in dietary and spatial ecology. Here we review the state of knowledge regarding the structure and formation of fish eye lenses in the context of using lens tissue for retrospective isotopic analysis. We discuss the relationship between eye lens diameter and body size, describe the successful recovery of expect...
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... Acfer 1 82 akin to, the now no longer unique, sample ALH 85085 from Antarctica (Bischoff et al., 1 991 , 1 993b; Grady and Pillinger ... stable isotopes indicate that, whatever its exact classification, Acfer 094 is primitive in that... more
... Acfer 1 82 akin to, the now no longer unique, sample ALH 85085 from Antarctica (Bischoff et al., 1 991 , 1 993b; Grady and Pillinger ... stable isotopes indicate that, whatever its exact classification, Acfer 094 is primitive in that it contains isotopically anomalous C and N (Newton et al ...
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Niche variation owing to individual differences in ecology has been hypothesized to be an early stage of sympatric speciation. Yet to date, no study has tracked niche width over more than a few generations. In this study, we show the... more
Niche variation owing to individual differences in ecology has been hypothesized to be an early stage of sympatric speciation. Yet to date, no study has tracked niche width over more than a few generations. In this study, we show the presence of isotopic niche variation over millennial timescales and investigate the evolutionary outcomes. Isotopic ratios were measured from tissue samples of sympatric killer whaleOrcinus orcalineages from the North Sea, spanning over 10 000 years. Isotopic ratios spanned a range similar to the difference in isotopic values of two known prey items, herringClupea harengusand harbour sealPhoca vitulina. Two proxies of the stage of speciation, lineage sorting of mitogenomes and genotypic clustering, were both weak to intermediate indicating that speciation has made little progress. Thus, our study confirms that even with the necessary ecological conditions, i.e. among-individual variation in ecology, it is difficult for sympatric speciation to progress i...
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This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that stable isotope ratios of nitrogen and carbon (expressed as δ(13)C and δ(15)N) of host blood are faithfully reproduced in unfed nymphal Ixodes ricinus that developed from larvae fed on that... more
This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that stable isotope ratios of nitrogen and carbon (expressed as δ(13)C and δ(15)N) of host blood are faithfully reproduced in unfed nymphal Ixodes ricinus that developed from larvae fed on that host. Measured isotopic discrimination (i.e. the tick-blood spacing) was between -0.1 and 0.7‰ for δ(13)C and 3.8 and 3.9‰ for δ(15)N. Both δ(13)C and δ(15)N increased significantly with tick ageing. The isotopic analysis of unfed ticks has potential for determining the physiological age of unfed ticks, for identifying the season in which the previous stage had fed and for identifying the main hosts utilized by ticks.
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ABSTRACT Capsule Stable isotope composition of feathers grown in Africa indicates that Willow Warblers, Phylloscopus trochilus, breeding in areas of Britain experiencing different population trends may vary in their distribution, timing... more
ABSTRACT Capsule Stable isotope composition of feathers grown in Africa indicates that Willow Warblers, Phylloscopus trochilus, breeding in areas of Britain experiencing different population trends may vary in their distribution, timing of moult and/or use of prey resources during the non-breeding season. Aims To compare stable isotope ratios of feathers of Willow Warblers breeding in parts of Britain with differing rates of population change. Methods Feathers were collected from three regions with differing recent population trends; northern Scotland (population increased), western Wales (declined slightly) and eastern England (declined rapidly). Collection occurred at ringing sites run by British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) volunteers as part of the Constant Effort Sites (CES) scheme between April and July in 2008 and 2009. Results Willow Warblers from northern Scotland had significantly higher δ 15N and δ 13C values than those from eastern England, although the regional mean values did not differ greatly. There was no significant difference in δ 15N and δ 13C values between the sexes, but δ 15N values were significantly greater in individuals caught later in the breeding season. Conclusions During the premigratory moult period in Africa, Willow Warblers from different parts of Britain may vary in their distribution, timing of moult and/or use of prey resources.
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Meteorites of the Ornans type 3 carbonaceous chondrites exhibit a range in degree of equilibration, attributed to differing amounts of thermal metamorphism. These differences have been used to split the CO3 chondrites into petrologic... more
Meteorites of the Ornans type 3 carbonaceous chondrites exhibit a range in degree of equilibration, attributed to differing amounts of thermal metamorphism. These differences have been used to split the CO3 chondrites into petrologic sub-types from 3.0, least equilibrated, to 3.7, being most equilibrated. This is similar to the system of assigning the type 3 ordinary chondrites into petrologic sub-types 3.0 to 3.9 based upon thermoluminescence (TL) and other properties; however, the actual range of thermal ...
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Our previous work involving carbon and nitrogen abundance and isotopic composition of Ornans group chondrites (1) has shown that these measurements have the potential for investigating parent body metamorphism, and we now expand this... more
Our previous work involving carbon and nitrogen abundance and isotopic composition of Ornans group chondrites (1) has shown that these measurements have the potential for investigating parent body metamorphism, and we now expand this study. The HF/HCl residues of Colony, Kainsaz, Ornans, Lance and Acfer 094 show unimodal carbon yield profiles. The peak yields are seen to increase as a
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... References: 1 . Anders et at., GCA 43, 1421-1432 (1979). 2. CMO Alexander ez' a!. EPSL 99, 220-229 (1990). 3. GR Huss, Nature 347, 159-162 (1990). 4. SS Russell, etal., Science 254, 1188-1191 (1991). 5 . ~ 5.5.... more
... References: 1 . Anders et at., GCA 43, 1421-1432 (1979). 2. CMO Alexander ez' a!. EPSL 99, 220-229 (1990). 3. GR Huss, Nature 347, 159-162 (1990). 4. SS Russell, etal., Science 254, 1188-1191 (1991). 5 . ~ 5.5. Russell , et at., this volume. 6 . AV Fisenko, et at., this volume. ...
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Research Interests: Environmental Geography, Environmental Science, Biogeochemistry, Environmental Studies, Biology, and 15 moreEcology, Air pollution, Animal Ecology, Carnivorous plant ecology, Biogeography, Environmental Pollution, Biological Sciences, Atmosphere, Animals, Carnivorous plants, Drosera rotundifolia, Drosera, Insectivorous Plants, Carnivory, and N
RATIONALE The study of insect migration is problematic due to the small size of insects. Stable isotope analysis can be used to elucidate movement, either by geographic assignment of location of a species, or by simply distinguishing... more
RATIONALE The study of insect migration is problematic due to the small size of insects. Stable isotope analysis can be used to elucidate movement, either by geographic assignment of location of a species, or by simply distinguishing migrant from resident populations. There are few isoscapes of any kind in the UK/Ireland available for interrogation. Thus, I have measured stable isotope ratios (of H, C, N and S) of 299 individuals of the non-migratory Brimstone moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) collected from 93 locations around the UK and Ireland by citizen scientists. METHODS After removing lipids, stable isotope ratios were measured by continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry, using either a conventional elemental analyser (C, N and S) or a high temperature, thermal conversion elemental analyser in reductive mode. RESULTS Maps (isoscapes) were constructed that illustrate the stable isotope spatial distribution of this insect. These are the first isoscapes of H, C, N and S of ...
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Trophic assimilation efficiency (conversion of resource biomass into consumer biomass) is thought to be a limiting factor for food chain length in natural communities. In host-parasitoid systems, which account for the majority of... more
Trophic assimilation efficiency (conversion of resource biomass into consumer biomass) is thought to be a limiting factor for food chain length in natural communities. In host-parasitoid systems, which account for the majority of terrestrial consumer interactions, a high trophic assimilation efficiency may be expected at higher trophic levels because of the close match of resource composition of host tissue and the consumer's resource requirements, which would allow for longer food chains. We measured efficiency of biomass transfer along an aphid-primary-secondary-tertiary parasitoid food chain and used stable isotope analysis to confirm trophic levels. We show high efficiency in biomass transfer along the food chain. From the third to the fourth trophic level, the proportion of host biomass transferred was 45%, 65% and 73%, respectively, for three secondary parasitoid species. For two parasitoid species that can act at the fourth and fifth trophic levels, we show markedly incre...
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The Gardnos impact structure in southern Norway is one of only two known impact structures (among ∼175) whose impactites contain significant amounts (typically 0.2–1.0 wt.%) of carbon, or 5 to 10 times the amount present in the target... more
The Gardnos impact structure in southern Norway is one of only two known impact structures (among ∼175) whose impactites contain significant amounts (typically 0.2–1.0 wt.%) of carbon, or 5 to 10 times the amount present in the target rocks; Sudbury, Canada is the other. This study extends a previous investigation of the geochemistry and petrology of Gardnos impactites (French et al., 1997) with additional sampling and a detailed investigation of the nature and possible origin of the carbonaceous material present.Two principal carbon components have been identified in Gardnos impactites: (1) impact-produced diamonds, 0.5 to 1 μm in size, with a cubic crystal structure, predominantly hexagonal morphologies with platey layers and an estimated concentration of < 0.19 ppm in Gardnos suevites and (2) graphitic carbon ranging from poorly ordered to moderately crystalline.Geochemical data suggests that there are no suitable target rocks that could provide a single source for the carbon in Gardnos impactites. However, Raman spectroscopy, stable isotope analysis and transmission electron microscopy of the impact diamonds and graphitic carbon suggests that there were at least two episodes of C emplacement in Gardnos impactites: an impact-related incorporation and shock transformation of graphitic material from target rocks followed by later mobilization of C, possibly during postimpact cooling or later regional metamorphism.
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Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) teeth were used to investigate whether variation in the chronological profiles of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios along dentine growth layers could reflect differences in ontogenetic... more
Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) teeth were used to investigate whether variation in the chronological profiles of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios along dentine growth layers could reflect differences in ontogenetic movements and/or dietary shifts in animals from different regions and sexes, as well as to show the differences in the isotopic environments experienced by these animals. Absolute isotopic ratios ranged from -14.1 to -11.0‰ for carbon and 10.8 to 18.1‰ for nitrogen, with the whale from the Indian Ocean, the two from the Mediterranean Sea and the female from the Azores presenting the most different median isotopic ratios. The Icelandic and the Indian Ocean males showed the expected decrease in δ13C around the age of ten, denoting male segregation from natal groups. For the latter, this was larger by almost twofold compared to other teeth, probably due to the much stronger latitudinal gradient in planktonic δ13C in the southern hemisphere. The Mediterranean S...
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On page 502, ecologists report that changes in the migration patterns of European blackcaps that breed in southern Germany and Austria are causing them to reproduce more than blackcaps that continue to use their traditional wintering... more
On page 502, ecologists report that changes in the migration patterns of European blackcaps that breed in southern Germany and Austria are causing them to reproduce more than blackcaps that continue to use their traditional wintering grounds, which may improve the chances of the birds forming two species.
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Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Community Ecology, Evolutionary genetics, Biology, and 15 moreBrazil, Ecology, Amazonia, Evolution, Fish Biology, Animal Ecology, Fish Ecology, Animals, Community Structure, Body Size, Community Dynamics, Ecosystem, Evolutionary Biogeography, Bayes Theorem, and Batesian Mimicry
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Preserved and archived organic material offers huge potential for the conduct of retrospective and long-term historical ecosystem reconstructions using stable isotope analyses, but because of isotopic exchange with preservatives the... more
Preserved and archived organic material offers huge potential for the conduct of retrospective and long-term historical ecosystem reconstructions using stable isotope analyses, but because of isotopic exchange with preservatives the obtained values require validation. The Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey is the most extensive long-term monitoring program for plankton communities worldwide and has utilised ships of opportunity to collect samples since 1931. To keep the samples intact for subsequent analysis, they are collected and preserved in formalin; however, previous studies have found that this may alter stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in zooplankton. A maximum ~0.9‰ increase of δ(15) N and a time dependent maximum ~1.0‰ decrease of δ(13) C were observed when the copepod, Calanus helgolandicus, was experimentally exposed to two formalin preservatives for 12 months. Applying specific correction factors to δ(15) N and δ(13) C values for similarly preserved Calan...
Research Interests: Earth Sciences, Chemistry, Environmental Monitoring, Cryopreservation, Medicine, and 15 moreSoft Tissue Preservation, Biological Sciences, Copepoda, Carbon Isotopes, Animals, Plankton, Data Collection, Maria Campbell, Nitrogen Isotopes, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Isotope analysis, Anthony Bicknell, Reproducibility of Results, Formaldehyde, and Rapid
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Research Interests: Conservation, Bayesian, Biology, Invasive species ecology, Ecology, and 15 moreInvasive Species, Fish Ecology, Applied Ecology, Conservation planning, Isotopic Analysis, Animal Movement, Isotopes, Applied, Biological Invasion, Introduced species, Isotope, Lamprey, Ecological Applications, Carbon Source, and ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
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Abstract Rivers in urban locations frequently receive contaminated wastewater and particulate waste either directly from storm overflows or from sewage treatment facilities. Although many urban streams are now recovering from wide-scale... more
Abstract Rivers in urban locations frequently receive contaminated wastewater and particulate waste either directly from storm overflows or from sewage treatment facilities. Although many urban streams are now recovering from wide-scale historic pollution, lower-level effects on water chemistry, nutrients and biotic composition are still widespread. We aimed to determine whether such effects could be detected using stable isotope ratios (δ 15 N, δ 13 C and δ 34 S) in macroinvertebrates alone or in conjunction with traditional ...