DOI: 10.5061/dryad.fxpnvx170
title: Data from: Identification of avian feather product origins: A case study on the tail feather products of <em>Syrmaticus reevesii</em> (Reeves's Pheasant)

description: Since the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the tail feathers of Syrmaticus
 reevesii (Reeves’s Pheasant) have been used to make Lingzi, a type of
 headgear worn in traditional Chinese opera-Xiqu. Sourcing these feathers
 ethically is crucial for promoting the development of Xiqu and the
 management of wildlife. Through stable isotope analysis, previous studies
 determined that the Lingzi used by opera troupes were likely sourced from
 wild individuals. However, these studies did not address the principles of
 stable isotope selection, the applicability of predictor variables, and
 forensic reference standards. During the enforcement process, technical
 barriers and testing costs may reduce the feasibility of enforcement, and
 the lack of standardized discrimination methods makes it difficult to
 generalize the identification of feather products to all bird species.
 Therefore, in this study, we selected δ15N and δ13C as predictor variables
 to predict the source of Reeves’s Pheasant tail feathers. We employed
 random forest classification and linear discriminant analysis to predict
 the origin of 44 feather samples collected from the troupes. When δ13C and
 δ15N, and δ13C alone were used as predictor variables, all Lingzi samples
 were predicted to be of wild origin. Compared to δ13C, δ15N had weaker
 indicative effect in determining the source of tail feathers and
 interfered stability in binary model. When the model used only δ13C as a
 predictor variable, it could still accurately determine the true origin of
 the tail feathers and had excellent predictive stability. In addition, the
 partial dependence plot of the random forest model showed that δ13C =
 -21.5‰ could be used as a discriminant standard for determining whether
 the tail feathers originated from wild or captive individuals. This
 refined approach improves source identification of Reeves’s Pheasant
 feathers and supports law enforcement efforts.
description: # Data from: Identification of avian feather product origins: A case study
 on the tail feather products of *Syrmaticus reevesii* (Reeves's
 Pheasant) Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.fxpnvx170](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.fxpnvx170) ##
 Description of the data and file structure This dataset comprises δ¹⁵N and
 δ¹³C values from the tail feathers of Reeves's pheasants (Syrmaticus
 reevesii). The data are divided into three groups: samples from
 captive-bred individuals, wild individuals, and feathers collected from
 opera troupes that were used for making Lingzi (a type of traditional
 theatrical headdress).  **Captive**: feathers from artificially bred
 individuals **Wild**: feathers from wild individuals **Lingzi**: feathers
 collected from troupes for crafting Lingzi (traditional ceremonial
 ornaments) The dataset includes 43 samples from captive individuals, 30
 from wild individuals, and 44 Lingzi samples. ### Files and variables ####
 File: Stable_Isotope_Data.csv **Description:** This dataset comprises δ¹⁵N
 and δ¹³C values from the tail feathers of Reeves's pheasants
 (Syrmaticus reevesii). ##### Variables * Number: sample number *
 13C: δ^13^C values * 15N: δ^15^N values * Class: three different classes
 samples ## Code/software No special software or code is required to view
 my data. ## Access information Other publicly accessible locations of the
 data: * This is the first time this data has been uploaded. Data was
 derived from the following sources: * Not obtained from public sources.