Fossil and subfossil herpetofauna from Cadet 2 Cave (Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe Islands, F. W. I.): Evolution of an insular herpetofauna since the Late Pleistocene

Abstract

This study deals with the herpetofaunal fossil and subfossil remains from the Cadet 2 site (Marie-Galante, Guadeloupean Archipelago). This study provides new data concerning the herpetofaunal community since the Late Pleistocene by revealing the early local occurrence of some taxa (Eleutherodactylus sp., cf. Sphaerodactylus sp., Ameiva sp., cf. Capitellum mariagalantae, Anolis cf. ferreus, cf. Antillotyphlops sp., cf. Alsophis sp. and Colubroidea sp. 1) and possible Pleistocene extinctions (Boa sp. and Colubroidea sp. 2). Moreover, the first metric data for fossil Marie-Galante anoles show clear size stability throughout time. As regards the evolution of the island herpetofaunal biodiversity, our work points to the long-term stability of the fauna before human colonization and subsequently to the marked impact of human-caused environmental disturbances during colonial but also Pre-Columbian periods.

A new fossil species ofBoaLinnaeus, 1758 (Squamata, Boidae), from the Pleistocene of Marie-Galante Island (French West Indies)

“…nov. The small size of this snake, highlighted by previous studies (Bailon et al, 2015;Bochaton et al, 2015b), is confirmed by our size estimation equations indicating total lengths between 73 and 139 mm for the fossil specimens. The small size of the specimens was considered in relation to their adult morphology and paleohistological evidence, indicating that growth had already started to slow down despite their small size, which could indicate the proximity of a growth asymptote (Andrews, 1982).…”

“…This hypothesis is partly confirmed by historical evidence demonstrating the past occurrence of Boa snakes on the islands of Martinique (Labat, 1724;Breuil, 2009) and Saint Vincent (Moreau de Jonn es, 1816), showing that these large snakes probably became extinct recently: during the 18th century on Martinique and during the 19th or 20th centuries on Saint Vincent. In addition, fossil evidence suggests the past occurrence of Boa snakes north of Dominica, as far as the northernmost island of Antigua, during the Holocene (Steadman et al, 1984;Pregill et al, 1988), but also on Marie-Galante Island during the Pleistocene (Stouvenot et al, 2014;Bailon et al, 2015;Bochaton et al, 2015b). This fossil evidence indicates that Boa may also have been present on all the Lesser Antillean islands separating Dominica from Antigua, including the Guadeloupe islands.…”

“…Boa remains were only found in the oldest layers of these three deposits, all dating from the late Pleistocene, and were absent from the subsequent Holocene layers (Stouvenot et al, 2014;Bailon et al, 2015;Bochaton et al, 2015b). Details concerning the stratigraphy of the deposits, taphonomy of the assemblages, and stratigraphic positions of the investigated boid remains can be found in the previously published studies of Cadet 2 cave (Bochaton et al, 2015b), Cadet 3 rock shelter (Stouvenot et al, 2014), and Blanchard Cave (Bailon et al, 2015). Marie-Galante boid remains were studied as part of a broad review of the squamate remains contained in the numerous archeological and paleontological deposits situated on all Guadeloupe islands (see a list of studied deposits in Bochaton et al, 2016b).…”

“…The studied fossil material includes 297 boid snake remains collected from Cadet 2 cave (16 specimens) (Bochaton et al, 2015b), Cadet 3 rock shelter (four specimens) (Sierpe, 2011;Stouvenot et al, 2014), and Blanchard Cave (277 specimens) (Bailon et al, 2015;Stoetzel et al, 2016) on Marie-Galante Island (Fig. 1).…”

From Icon of Empire to National Emblem: New Evidence for the Fallow Deer of Barbuda

“…For these reasons, the fallow deer of Barbuda are a legitimate focus for research with the potential to provide high quality information for a range of disciplines including archaeology, history and ecology, since the introduction of a new species can have a considerable impact on native ecosystems (Hobbs 2000;Lambert and Rotherham 2011). While there has been an increasing body of Caribbean zooarchaeological data on animal introductions, biogeography, and humanecodynamics (Giovas, LeFebvre, andFitzpatrick 2012, 2016), most of the narratives address the Amerindian horizon (Giovas, LeFebvre, and Fitzpatrick 2012;Grouard 2001Grouard , 2003Grouard , 2010Grouard , 2011Steadman et al 2014;Wing 2001), pre-anthropic horizons or focus exclusively on herpetofauna (Bochaton et al 2015(Bochaton et al , 2016Pregill, Steadman, and Watters 1994). There is clearly a need for zooarchaeological data that are both qualitatively and quantitatively substantial for the colonial period in order to understand the history and management of fallow deer.…”