Stable isotopes (δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O, δ¹⁵N) have revolutionized paleoecology studies. But how have these tools been applied in South America, one of the world’s richest fossil archives? ⚛️🌎

This is the first bibliometric and conceptual review to answer that question.

🖥️We analyzed 80 studies (1994–2024) to explore:

•Temporal and taxonomic biases
•Research trends, gaps and emerging topics
•Collaboration networks and gender equity

📈 The field has grown exponentially, especially in the last 5 years. But studies are heavily skewed toward:
✔ the Quaternary (77% of the papers)
✔ certain taxa (e.g., Equidae, Camelidae, Toxodontidae)

🌎 Geographically, most works are concentrated in Argentina and Brazil. Countries like Paraguay and Venezuela are underrepresented.
We need more balanced regional sampling to understand continent-wide patterns.

The most frequent keywords (“Isotope”, “Pleistocene”, “Diet”, “Paleoecology”, and “Carbon”) highlight a primary focus on evaluating the paleodiets and ecological roles of extinct taxa, and recent years show growing interest in Ecological niche modeling.

Network analysis using clustering methods provided valuable insights into collaborative structure trends. Co-authorship analysis revealed a highly collaborative landscape, with 90% of identified clusters involving international partnerships.

🌎 South American researchers are increasingly assuming leadership roles in the production of isotopic research over the last decade.

Gender analysis revealed significant imbalances in female participation. Promoting equitable representation in scientific authorship is crucial not only for social justice but also to enrich research by incorporating diverse perspectives.

This systematic literature analysis offers a comprehensive understanding of the field’s progress over the past three decades.

🧭We hope this review becomes a roadmap for future work.

www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/15...