SREL Reprint #2787

Time series analysis of elemental and isotopic data from biomineralized whale tissue

Qin Shao1, Machelle D. Wilson2, Christopher S. Romanek2,3, and Keith A. Hobson4

1University of Toledo, Department of Mathematics
2University of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
3University of Georgia, Department of Geology
4Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service

Abstract: A temporal record of environmental conditions is often contained within accretionary biological tissue. These records can provide knowledge of the environmental conditions that existed at the time the tissue was formed. In this study, we look at trace element concentrations and isotopic ratios of carbon and nitrogen as contained in baleen from bowhead whales in the eastern and western Arctic Ocean. Time series techniques, including maximum likelihood method and likelihood ratio tests are applied to analysis of data and inference about their mean structures.

Keywords: Arctic, autoregressive moving-average series, baleen, bowhead whale, likelihood ratio test, linear trend, isotope, seasonality, time series, trace elements

SREL Reprint #2787

Shao, Q., M. D. Wilson, C. S. Romanek, and K. A. Hobson. 2004. Time series analysis of elemental and isotopic data from biomineralized whale tissue. Environmental and Ecological Statistics 11:323-337.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).