24 bee bread samples from hives in Papua New Guinea were analyzed for fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) using GCMS and DNA metabarcoding. The data shows fatty acids consisted of 43% saturated and 57% unsaturated lipids, with specific acid concentrations varying between forest and non-forest landscapes. Author Chris Cannizzaro published this dataset on figshare in April 2026 under a CC-BY-4.0 license.
Use Cases
- Compare fatty acid profiles between forest and non-forest landscapes based on the described concentration differences.
- Analyze the relationship between floral diversity and total FAME diversity as highlighted in the study.
- Investigate the nutritional implications of lauric acid levels for honeybee disease resistance in different landscapes.
- Model the contribution of specific acids like myristic and palmitoleic to antimicrobial properties and wax production.
Strengths
- Data is derived from 24 distinct hive samples, providing a basis for comparative analysis.
- Analysis includes both GCMS for chemistry and DNA metabarcoding for floral source identification.
- Specific quantitative findings are reported, such as 43% saturated and 57% unsaturated fatty acids.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- The dataset is small at 177.4 KB, indicating limited scope.
Provenance
- Source
- figshare
- Collection Method
- Bee bread samples analyzed via GCMS and DNA metabarcoding.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-04-20 11:44:37; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Papua New Guinea