Sporormiella as a tool for detecting the presence of large herbivores in the Neotropics

Raczka, Marco F.; Bush, Mark B.; Folcik, Alexandra M.; McMichael, Crystal N.H.

doi:10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2015-0090

Cited by 32 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(58 reference statements)

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“…Sporormiella spores are poorly dispersed (Ahmed and Cain, 1972;Davis and Shafer, 2006), a fact reflected in Raper and Bush's (2009) study by higher concentrations of spores occurring in nearshore lacustrine muds (< 20 m from the lake margin) compared with more distal sampling sites. These results were corroborated by a similar study conducted in southern Brazil (Raczka et al, 2016). The implication here is that lake-level history could be a more important control on spore abundance than the presence or absence of herbivores, depending on the location of the sampling site.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Comparison of Sporormiella dung fungal spores and oribatid mites as indicators of large herbivore presence: evidence from the Cuzco region of Peru

Chepstow-Lusty

Frogley

Baker

2019

Journal of Archaeological Science

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The ability of sedimentary proxies (especially dung fungal spores) to reflect the past presence and density of large herbivores on a landscape has been receiving increasing scrutiny. Here we examine the Sporormiella spore record from a well-dated, multiproxy, highly organic sedimentary record from the small lake basin of Marcacocha in the Cuzco region of Peru. The basin, a wetland since ca. AD 1840, existed as a small lake for at least 4000 years prior. Previous work at Marcacocha has shown that changes in herbivore densities reflect the abundances of oribatid mites preserved in the lake sediments. This study tests the assumption that both the Sporormiella and the oribatid mite records responded in broadly the same way to changes in herbivore densities over the past 1200 years. Analysis reveals a very low covariance between concentrations of Sporormiella spores and the two major components of the oribatid mite assemblage: a single aquatic species of Hydrozetes and a less abundant, wider grouping comprising members of the mostly terrestrial superfamily Ceratozetoidea (referred to as the 'ceratozetoids'). Variations in the Hydrozetes assemblage clearly dovetail with known historical events, including the massive decline of indigenous and camelid populations following the collapse of the Inca Empire in the mid-sixteenth century. Comparison with other environmental proxies from the Marcacocha sequence, including diatoms and charophyte oospores, suggests that the ceratozetoids appear to reflect increasing terrestrialization. In contrast, although the Sporormiella record indicates the presence of livestock, it fails to register the major historical changes in herbivore presence, though reflects well episodes of lake-level lowering. In small lake settings, therefore, the use of Sporormiella to estimate the density of herbivores in the catchment might be considered a relatively blunt instrument when compared with some other indicators. Supporting Information: Appendix S1 Comparison of Sporormiella dung fungal spores and oribatid mites as indicators of large herbivore presence: evidence from the Cuzco region of Peru

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Comparison of Sporormiella dung fungal spores and oribatid mites as indicators of large herbivore presence: evidence from the Cuzco region of Peru

Chepstow-Lusty

Frogley

Baker

2019

Journal of Archaeological Science

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“…In their study of 15 Florida lakes, Raper and Bush (2009) showed that abundance is very sensitive to distance from dung source, and concentrations declined precipitously with distance. Similar correlations have been reported by Raczka et al (2016) and Parker and Williams (2012). Abundance in the centre of sites (lakes) may represent precipitation and stream inflow rather than numbers of animals, especially when sequences are not directly associated with fossil skeletal remains.…”

Section: Fungal Spore Taphonomysupporting

confidence: 75%

“…Similar correlations have been reported by Raczka et al . () and Parker and Williams (). Abundance in the centre of sites (lakes) may represent precipitation and stream inflow rather than numbers of animals, especially when sequences are not directly associated with fossil skeletal remains.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In various contexts, spores are associated with rabbit scats, ground squirrel and porcupines, as well as large mammals, yet we still have some way to go before we have a full understanding of what the spore abundance actually means (e.g. van Asperen, ; Raczka et al ., ). In tests for fungal spore diversity on modern dung samples, van Asperen () found Sporormiella was present on only one elephant dung sample, was rare on two feral animal samples and genuinely absent from other samples.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What does the occurrence of Sporormiella (Preussia) spores mean in Australian fossil sequences?

Dodson

Field²

2018

J Quaternary Science

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Understanding the loss of the final few species of Australian megafauna is beset by a paucity of data on human arrival, well‐provenanced megafauna, human/megafauna population range and distribution (coexistence and interaction), and the range, scale and impact of environmental changes spanning the human–megafauna period. To overcome these shortcomings, the occurrence and decline of coprophilous fungal spores of Sporormiella in sediments have been used as a proxy for extinct megaherbivores. The Sporormiella evidence is presented as the key indicator of extinction timing and these reports are often from locations where there is no known archaeological record or megafauna remains. However, interpreting fungal spore occurrence is not straightforward, as demonstrated by studies investigating taphonomy, taxonomy and the types of animal dung where Sporormiella occurs. No detailed studies on these problems exist for Australia and no evidence supporting the use of Sporormiella as a valid proxy has been reported. Here we examine the occurrence of Sporormiella spores from Cuddie Springs in south‐eastern Australia. Despite a well‐preserved suite of megafauna fossils, Sporormiella occurrence is sporadic and frequencies are low. We conclude that using Sporormiella alone as an indicator for the presence of megafauna is premature for the Australian context.

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“…Although it seems that dung fungal spore active dispersal distances are short (Ingold and Hadland 1959;Ingold 1961;Trail 2007;Yafetto et al 2008), it is unclear whether, and if so, how far, spores can move around the landscape through other taphonomic processes such as wind and water transport (Raper and Bush 2009;Johnson et al 2015;Raczka et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relating dung fungal spore influx rates to animal density in a temperate environment: Implications for palaeoecological studies

2019

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The management of the remainder of Europe’s once extensive forests is hampered by a poor understanding of the character of the vegetation and drivers of change before the onset of clearance for farming. Pollen data indicate a closed-canopy, mixed-deciduous forest, contrasting with the assertion that large herbivores would have maintained a mosaic of open grassland, regenerating scrub and forested groves. Coprophilous fungal spores from sedimentary sequences are increasingly used as a proxy for past herbivore impact on vegetation, but the method faces methodological and taphonomical issues. Using pollen trap data from a long-running experiment in Chillingham Wild Cattle Park, UK, we investigate the first steps in the mechanisms connecting herbivore density to the incorporation of fungal spores in sediments and assess the effects of environmental variables on this relationship. Herbivore utilisation levels correlate with dung fungal spore abundance. Chillingham is densely populated by large herbivores, but dung fungal spore influx is low. Herbivores may thus be present on the landscape but go undetected. The absence of dung fungal spores is therefore less informative than their presence. Dung fungal spores likely enter the sediment record through a different pathway from wind-borne pollen and thus dung fungal abundance is better expressed as influx rates than as percentage of total pollen. Landscape openness, vegetation type and site wetness do not distort the impact of utilisation levels on dung fungal spore representation. However, dung fungal spore influx varies markedly between seasons and years. Spores travel, leading to a background level of spore deposition across the landscape, and at times a depletion of spores, especially under wet weather conditions. Animal behaviour, as well as husbandry practices, can lead to the accumulation of dung, and thus fungal spores, in specific locations on the landscape that do not directly reflect grazing pressure.

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Sporormiella as a tool for detecting the presence of large herbivores in the Neotropics

Cited by 32 publications

References 42 publications

Comparison of Sporormiella dung fungal spores and oribatid mites as indicators of large herbivore presence: evidence from the Cuzco region of Peru

Comparison of Sporormiella dung fungal spores and oribatid mites as indicators of large herbivore presence: evidence from the Cuzco region of Peru

What does the occurrence of Sporormiella (Preussia) spores mean in Australian fossil sequences?

Relating dung fungal spore influx rates to animal density in a temperate environment: Implications for palaeoecological studies

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