The late Pleistocene to early Holocene Champlain Sea provides a unique opportunity to study the development of marine ecosystems in a context of global climatic change. This study presents radiocarbon (14C) dates and stable isotope analyses on 15 vertebrate specimens from Champlain Sea sediments, including the Charlotte Whale, which is Vermont’s State marine fossil. Data are used in an attempt to investigate the timing of colonization and ecological dynamics in this newly formed sea. Using the average marine correction, 14C dates on four specimens likely calibrate prior to or possibly synchronous with the accepted origination date for the Champlain Sea, implying larger marine reservoir effects than the average marine correction in the vertebrate tissues. Without knowing the specific marine reservoir offsets, it is not possible to calculate the timing of colonization or its relation to concurrent climatic change. Observed lower δ13C and δ15N values in walruses, a fin whale, and a right whale support consumption of prey from lower trophic levels such as bivalve mollusks, krill, and copepods. Higher isotopic values in beluga whales and a bird, the thick-billed murre, support consuming fish, such as cod and capelin. These isotopic data show comparable values and relationships as observed in modern arctic marine ecosystems.

中文翻译：

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14C 晚更新世-早全新世尚普兰海海洋脊椎动物的年代和稳定同位素生态

更新世晚期至全新世早期尚普兰海为研究全球气候变化背景下海洋生态系统的发展提供了独特的机会。本研究提出了放射性碳 (14C) 对来自尚普兰海沉积物的 15 个脊椎动物标本的日期和稳定同位素分析，包括佛蒙特州海洋化石夏洛特鲸鱼。数据被用于研究这片新形成的海洋中的殖民时间和生态动态。使用平均海洋校正，14四个标本的 C 日期可能在尚普兰海公认的起源日期之前或可能与公认的起源日期同步，这意味着海洋水库的影响大于脊椎动物组织中的平均海洋校正。在不知道具体的海洋水库偏移量的情况下，不可能计算殖民时间或其与同时发生的气候变化的关系。观察到较低的 δ13C和δ15海象、长须鲸和露脊鲸的 N 值支持消耗较低营养水平的猎物，例如双壳类软体动物、磷虾和桡足类。白鲸和一种鸟类厚嘴海鸥的同位素值较高，支持食用鳕鱼和毛鳞鱼等鱼类。这些同位素数据显示了在现代北极海洋生态系统中观察到的可比值和关系。