Mid-Holocene vertebrate bone Concentration-Lagerstatte on oceanic island Mauritius provides a window into the ecosystem of the dodo (Raphus cucullatus)

Autor: Salem Saumtally, Julian P. Hume, T. Vernimmen, Holger Cremer, F. B. Vincent Florens, F.P.M. Bunnik, Beth Shapiro, Lars W. van den Hoek Ostende, Anwar Janoo, Assenjee Bholah, Perry G. B. de Louw, James Haile, Michael Buckley, Johannes van der Plicht, Edmund Gittenberger, Matthew J. Collins, Cláudia Baider, Kenneth F. Rijsdijk, Owen Griffiths, Nicolas Porch
Přispěvatelé: TNO Bouw en Ondergrond, Computational Geo-Ecology (IBED, FNWI), Isotope Research
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2009
Předmět:
Archeology
Taphonomy
bird
Freshwater lakes
Fauna
Gastropoda
Mascarene Islands
AFRICAN
Oceanography
bone
HISTORY
Aridification
EXTINCTIONS
Dodo
Bacillariophyta
Indian Ocean
Bacteria (microorganisms)
Holocene
Mammals
Global and Planetary Change
biology
Ecology
extinction
radiocarbon dating
Hexapoda
Macrofossil
Geology
Micro fossils
anthropogenic effect
RECORD
PALEOBIOLOGY
fossil record
Nucleic acids
Radiocarbon ages
Testudinidae
Indian Ocean islands
Vertebrate species
Mauritius
Collagen
Dry environments
Plant tissues
Indian Ocean regions
sea level change
Geosciences
Bone collagens
Raphus cucullatus
Lagerstätte
Ecosystems
Organic acids
Oceanic islands
HUMAN ARRIVAL
Animals
TROPICS
Sea level
Ecology
Evolution
Behavior and Systematics
Macrofossils
Vertebrata
Human impacts
Drought
fungi
biology.organism_classification
Volcanic islands
colonization
Human settlements
TAPHONOMY
Cylindraspis
INDIAN-OCEAN
Abiotic conditions
PATTERNS
Water levels
Zdroj: Quaternary Science Reviews, 1-2, 28, 14-24
Quaternary Science Reviews, 28(1-2), 14-24. Elsevier
Quaternary Science Reviews, 28(1-2), 14-24. PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
ISSN: 0277-3791
Popis: Although the recent history of human colonisation and impact on Mauritius is well documented, virtually no records of the pre-human native ecosystem exist, making it difficult to assess the magnitude of the changes brought about by human settlement. Here, we describe a 4000-year-old fossil bed at Mare aux Songes (MAS) in south-eastern Mauritius that contains both macrofossils (vertebrate fauna, gastropods, insects and flora) and microfossils (diatoms, pollen, spores and phytoliths). With >250 bone fragments/m(2) and comprising 50% of all known extinct and extant vertebrate species (n(s)=44) of Mauritius, MAS may constitute the first Holocene vertebrate bone Concentration-Lagerstatte identified on an oceanic volcanic island. Fossil remains are dominated by extinct giant tortoises Cylindraspis spp. (63%), passerines (similar to 10%), small bats (7.8%) and dodo Raphus cucullatus (7.1%). Twelve radiocarbon ages [four of them duplicates] from bones and other material suggest that accumulation of fossils took place within several centuries. An exceptional combination of abiotic conditions led to preservation of bones, bone collagen, plant tissue and microfossils. Although bone collagen is well preserved, DNA from dodo and other Mauritian vertebrates has proved difficult. Our analysis suggests that from ca 4000 years ago (4 ka), rising sea levels created a freshwater lake at MAS, generating an oasis in an otherwise dry environment which attracted a diverse vertebrate fauna. Subsequent aridification in the south-west Indian Ocean region may have increased carcass accumulation during droughts, contributing to the exceptionally high fossil concentration. The abundance of floral and faunal remains in this Lagerstatte offers a unique opportunity to reconstruct a pre-human ecosystem on an oceanic island, providing a key foundation for assessing the vulnerability of island ecosystems to human impact. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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