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Keywords: bioarchaeology, osteobiography, Croatia, paleopathology, isotopic analysis, Early Roman Period
Published in RUP: 09.02.2026; Views: 802; Downloads: 9
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Keywords: Croatia, Pauline monastery, Late Middle Ages, skeletal remains, bioarchaeology, stable isotopes, CT scanning, facial reconstruction
Published in RUP: 23.01.2026; Views: 1146; Downloads: 9
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Abstract: Free-roaming domestic cats (Felis catus) present a major management challenge for animal welfare and biodiversity conservation. Trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs, which include sterilization and return of cats, are increasingly adopted to manage cat populations, often alongside routine food provisioning. However, their effectiveness in reducing cats’ reliance on wild prey remains contested. In this study, we use stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of cat fur to investigate dietary patterns before and after TNR implementation in the context of concurrent changes in food availability linked to the closure of nearby mink-farming operations. We analyzed samples from 122 cats in a large-scale TNR initiative on a rural property in British Columbia, Canada. These included indoor cats (control), free-roaming cats prior to TNR (Group 1), a subset of Group 1 re-sampled months after food provisioning began (Run 2), and newly sampled cats that had been fed regularly before trapping (Group 2). Local prey and food sources were also analyzed to provide a comparative isotopic baseline. Our results show clear dietary shifts following TNR. Group 1 cats exhibited high isotopic variability and elevated δ15N and δ34S values, consistent with wild prey consumption. In contrast, post-TNR cats showed significantly lower and more homogeneous values, aligning closely with those of indoor, kibble-fed cats. These changes are consistent with a reduced dietary reliance on wildlife and raw mink feed following the combination of TNR with regular provisioning and the cessation of mink operations. These findings demonstrate that regular food provisioning in TNR-managed colonies, particularly when combined with broader environmental changes, can significantly alter cat diets and potentially reduce their dependence on wild prey.
Keywords: trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs, stable isotope analysis, free-roaming cats, conservation
Published in RUP: 05.11.2025; Views: 1170; Downloads: 13
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Abstract: The transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age (around 1500 BCE) in the Carpathian Basin was parallel by drastic cultural changes in Central-Europe, which strongly influenced the dynamic of prehistoric Europe. The cultural fragmentation of the Middle Bronze Age (2000 − 1500 BCE) Carpathian Basin was followed by a more homogeneous development at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age (1500 − 1300 BCE), with the appearance of the Tumulus culture. In the beginning of this period, the long-used tell-settlements were abandoned, furthermore new pottery styles and metal types appeared. Whether these changes were caused by immigration, or a local adaptation to external influxes, has long been a matter of debate. Our study investigates this transition from the point of view of diet and mobility from several key-sites of Hungary. Our results show (1) low migration rates and a shift of migration trajectories; that (2) the beginning of the systematic consumption of Panicum miliaceum was from 1540 − 1480 BCE; that (3) the decrease of average animal protein intake was parallel by an increase of cereal consumption and a tendency to less unequal diet. Overall, our results shed new light on the dynamics of complex change in Bronze Age Europe.
Keywords: Bronze Age, Hungary, stable isotopes
Published in RUP: 26.08.2025; Views: 952; Downloads: 12
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