The geological imprint of neodymium isotopes in marine gastropods
Journal
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Journal Volume
293
Journal Issue
2064
ISSN
1471-2954
Date Issued
2026-02-11
Author(s)
Doubleday, Zoe
Payne, Justin
Martino, Jasmin
Tanaka, Kentaro
Tazoe, Hirofumi
Tristao Rezio, Arieli
Wu, Po-Chao
Huang, Kuo-Fang
Shirai, Kotaro
Abstract
Owing to their precision and predictability, radiogenic isotopes are prized for tracking the movement of terrestrial and freshwater species, as well as the origins of natural products. Yet, their use in marine systems is rare. Here, we investigate neodymium (Nd) isotope ratios, a radiogenic isotope system that is rarely used in biology but has characteristics that make it useful for marine biological applications. Nd isotope ratios are influenced by continental geology; as such, we analysed 143Nd/144Nd or ƐNd in 112 gastropod shells (abalone) collected from 11 geologically diverse sites in southern Australia. We found strong spatial differences in isotope ratios, which ranged from -18.2 ƐNd in the west of Australia to -3.4 ƐNd in the east. Such differences can be broadly linked to exposed continental rock age-a trend that was also apparent when comparing our data to published ƐNd data from northeast Asia. This study represents, to our knowledge, the largest analysis of ƐNd in modern biological material and provides insight into spatial trends and its usefulness as a radiogenic marker. Our findings highlight the exciting potential of ƐNd as a tool for biologists to understand marine animal movement and the origins of marine products.
Subjects
animal movement
gastropods
geology
marine environment
neodymium isotopes
provenance
radiogenic isotopes
Publisher
The Royal Society
Type
journal article