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

Rijsdijk, Kenneth F; Hume, Julian P; Bunnik, Frans; Florens, F B Vincent; Baider, Claudia; Shapiro, Beth; van der Plicht, Johannes; Janoo, Anwar; Griffiths, Owen; van den Hoek Ostende, Lars W; Cremer, Holger; Porch, Nicholas

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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...[Show more]

dc.contributor.authorRijsdijk, Kenneth F
dc.contributor.authorHume, Julian P
dc.contributor.authorBunnik, Frans
dc.contributor.authorFlorens, F B Vincent
dc.contributor.authorBaider, Claudia
dc.contributor.authorShapiro, Beth
dc.contributor.authorvan der Plicht, Johannes
dc.contributor.authorJanoo, Anwar
dc.contributor.authorGriffiths, Owen
dc.contributor.authorvan den Hoek Ostende, Lars W
dc.contributor.authorCremer, Holger
dc.contributor.authorPorch, Nicholas
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-10T22:26:46Z
dc.identifier.issn0277-3791
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/53897
dc.description.abstractAlthough 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/m2 and comprising 50% of all known extinct and extant vertebrate species (ns = 44) of Mauritius, MAS may constitute the first Holocene vertebrate bone Concentration-Lagerstätte identified on an oceanic volcanic island. Fossil remains are dominated by extinct giant tortoises Cylindraspis spp. (63%), passerines (∼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 Lagerstätte 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.
dc.publisherPergamon-Elsevier Ltd
dc.sourceQuaternary Science Reviews
dc.subjectKeywords: Animals; Bone; Collagen; Drought; Ecology; Mammals; Nucleic acids; Oceanography; Organic acids; Sea level; Water levels; Abiotic conditions; Aridification; Bone collagens; Dry environments; Freshwater lakes; Holocene; Human impacts; Human settlements; Ind
dc.titleMid-Holocene vertebrate bone Concentration-Lagerstatte on oceanic island Mauritius provides a window into the ecosystem of the dodo (Raphus cucullatus)
dc.typeJournal article
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.identifier.citationvolume28
dc.date.issued2009
local.identifier.absfor060206 - Palaeoecology
local.identifier.ariespublicationu4029967xPUB286
local.type.statusPublished Version
local.contributor.affiliationRijsdijk, Kenneth F, National Museum of Natural History
local.contributor.affiliationHume, Julian P, University of Portsmouth
local.contributor.affiliationBunnik, Frans, TNO
local.contributor.affiliationFlorens, F B Vincent, University of Mauritius
local.contributor.affiliationBaider, Claudia, Mauritius Herbarium
local.contributor.affiliationShapiro, Beth, Pennsylvania State University
local.contributor.affiliationvan der Plicht, Johannes, University of Groningen
local.contributor.affiliationJanoo, Anwar, National Heritage Fund Mauritius
local.contributor.affiliationGriffiths, Owen, Bioculture (Mauritius) Ltd
local.contributor.affiliationvan den Hoek Ostende, Lars W, National Museum of Natural History
local.contributor.affiliationCremer, Holger, TNO
local.contributor.affiliationPorch, Nicholas, College of Asia and the Pacific, ANU
local.description.embargo2037-12-31
local.bibliographicCitation.issue1-2
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage14
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage24
local.identifier.doi10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.09.018
dc.date.updated2016-02-24T10:30:10Z
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-57849101508
CollectionsANU Research Publications

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