Evidence of early butchery of giant lemurs in Madagascar

Pérez, Ventura R.; Godfrey, Laurie R.; Nowak-Kemp, Małgosia; Burney, David A.; Ratsimbazafy, Jonah; Vasey, Natalie

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.08.004

Cited by 118 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Without a proper understanding of the dynamic nature of taboos and the patterns of their transmission, the presence of taboo heterogeneity in a population is not evidence of erosion. It is certain that there has been hunting in Madagascar for at least 2000 years, since humans first settled on the landscape (Perez et al 2005). Given that hunting has occurred for millennia, the presence of significant heterogeneity in the coverage of taboos across species should not be interpreted as an erosion of cultural values, but rather as the presence of a dynamic and highly complex system of regulations and sanctions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of social change on wildlife consumption taboos in northeastern Madagascar

Golden¹,

Comaroff²

2015

E&S

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ABSTRACT. In Madagascar, the constellation of taboos serves as a form of informal regulatory institution and is foundational to Malagasy culture, regardless of class, ethnic group affiliation, and educational background. Many researchers have credited rapid social change as a crucial mechanism for disturbing taboos. Others suggest that taboos are innately historical. However, very little empirical research has assessed the effects of social change on taboos or quantified the stability of taboo systems over time. Here, we use a case study of the ensemble of taboos in northeastern Madagascar, still a critical aspect of social life there, as a lens through which we investigate its degree of stability over time. Our aim was: (1) to describe the food taboos of local Malagasy living in northeastern Madagascar, and (2) to quantitatively assess the stability of these taboos to address certain claims regarding cultural erosion using an empirical, hypothesis-driven approach with rich ethnographic material to aid in interpretation. We investigated the temporal stability of taboos and local adherence to the moral framework, finding that approximately 3.0% of 4857 taboos were not adhered to at least once during the course of a 7-yr follow-up study. Additionally, we quantitatively explored the mediating effects of migration, modernization, and the spread of Western religion on number of taboos and level of adherence. We found that the presence of extralocal groups and migration did not decrease the number of taboos abided by locally, but did increase rates of nonadherence. Modernization accompanied by generational shifts tended to increase rather than erode the number of taboos, and younger individuals adhered to taboos to the same degree as older individuals. The effect of Western religion depended on the denomination, but generally reduced the number of taboos, although it did not affect adherence. The ways in which social change affects the stability of taboos are complex. Migrants tended to adhere to taboos less than long-standing inhabitants, suggesting that attachment to place is significant in maintaining adherence to taboos.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of social change on wildlife consumption taboos in northeastern Madagascar

Golden¹,

Comaroff²

2015

E&S

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“…They are most useful when isotopic gradients across habitats or dietary resources are strong. Such is the case in Madagascar, where (i) different plant types (C 3 , C 4 [15]. Accordingly, lemurs that live in cool, moist localities and consume C 3 plants have lower d 13 …”

Section: And Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet many are at risk of extinction [2], and at least 17 species have vanished during the past 2000 years [3]. The cause (or combination of causes) that resulted in these extinctions is debated, but humans were probably a central factor [3][4][5]. Much of this debate has stemmed from unresolved temporal sequences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extinction and ecological retreat in a community of primates

et al. 2012

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The lemurs of Madagascar represent a prodigious adaptive radiation. At least 17 species ranging from 11 to 160 kg have become extinct during the past 2000 years. The effect of this loss on contemporary lemurs is unknown. The concept of competitive release favours the expansion of living species into vacant niches. Alternatively, factors that triggered the extinction of some species could have also reduced communitywide niche breadth. Here, we use radiocarbon and stable isotope data to examine temporal shifts in the niches of extant lemur species following the extinction of eight large-bodied species. We focus on southwestern Madagascar and report profound isotopic shifts, both from the time when now-extinct lemurs abounded and from the time immediately following their decline to the present. Unexpectedly, the past environments exploited by lemurs were drier than the protected (albeit often degraded) riparian habitats assumed to be ideal for lemurs today. Neither competitive release nor niche contraction can explain these observed trends. We develop an alternative hypothesis: ecological retreat, which suggests that factors surrounding extinction may force surviving species into marginal or previously unfilled niches.

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“…Given modern biotic clines across southern Madagascar, with increasing aridity towards the west, Quaternary climate shifts likely had significant impacts on the composition and evolutionary history of the regional biota. Secondly, those modifications that directly relate to human-induced environmental degradation, include hunting and the clearing of natural habitats (Burney et al 2003;Perez et al 2005;Dewar et al 2013;Goodman & Jungers in press). Human arrival to Madagascar has been extended to approximately 4000 Cal BP (Dewar et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Human arrival to Madagascar has been extended to approximately 4000 Cal BP (Dewar et al 2013). The earliest evidence of butchery of extinct animals comes from the southwest at approximately 2300 Cal BP (MacPhee & Burney 1991;Perez et al 2005). However, at several sites there is mounting evidence that synergistic combinations of these two factors came into play (Burney et al 2004, Goodman & Jungers in press).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bird fossils from Ankilitelo Cave: Inference about Holocene environmental changes in Southwestern Madagasca

Raherilalao

Muldoon

2013

Zootaxa

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The identifications of non-permineralized fossil bird bones recovered from Ankilitelo Cave in southwestern Madagascar are presented. Among the more than 560 elements recovered, 29 different taxa were identified, the vast majority being species that still occur in this region of the island. Eggshell remains from the extinct elephant bird (Family Aepyornithidae) and assigned to Aepyornis sp. were found at the site. Two identified extant taxa, Scopus umbretta and Monias benschi, no longer occur in the area immediately surrounding the cave. The available radiocarbon measurements of collagen from fossil bird bones and avian eggshell carbonate of recovered from the cave range from 13,270 Cal yr BP to modern times. Hence, the presumed ecological shifts that took place resulting in the disappearance or range contractions of these three taxa is within the Holocene and are presumed to be associated with natural climatic change and in more recent centuries associated human pressures. Information is also presented on the origin of guinea fowl (Numida) and inference on the period of colonization of Corvus albus on Madagascar.Key words: Ankilitelo Cave, birds, Aepyornis, Monias benschi, Numida meleagris, fauna, environmental shifts, C14 dates Résumé Les identifications des os d'oiseaux fossiles récupérés dans la Grotte d'Ankilitelo dans le Sud-ouest de Madagascar sont présentées ici. Parmi les 560 éléments et plus récupérés, 29 taxa différentes ont été identifiées dont la majorité sont des espèces qui se trouvent encore dans cette région de l'île. Des restes de coquilles d'oeuf de l'oiseau-éléphant éteint (famille des Aepyornithidae) et affecté à Aepyornis sp. ont été trouvés sur le site. Par ailleurs, deux taxa actuels, Scopus umbretta et Monias benschi, ont été identifiés mais ne se rencontrent plus à proximité de la grotte. Sur la base des mesures disponibles de radiocarbone de fossiles d'oiseaux récupérés dans la grotte, le matériel le plus ancien est daté à 11 310 ± 40 14 C BP et le plus récent à l'époque moderne. Par conséquent, les changements écologiques présumés, ayant entraîné la disparition ou la restriction de la zone de répartition de ces trois taxons, ont eu lieu dans l'histoire récente. Ces changements sont probablement associés à perturbations climatiques naturelles et aux pressions humaines ultérieures. Des informations sont aussi présentées sur l'origine de la pintade (Numida) et l'inférence sur la période de la colonisation de Corvus albus à Madagascar.

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Evidence of early butchery of giant lemurs in Madagascar

Cited by 118 publications

References 38 publications

Effects of social change on wildlife consumption taboos in northeastern Madagascar

Effects of social change on wildlife consumption taboos in northeastern Madagascar

Extinction and ecological retreat in a community of primates

Bird fossils from Ankilitelo Cave: Inference about Holocene environmental changes in Southwestern Madagasca

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