Late Holocene fossil vertebrates from Burma Quarry, Antigua, Lesser Antilles

Pregill, Gregory K.

doi:10.5479/si.00810282.463

Cited by 55 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…These changes and pressures brought on widespread extinction of many of the larger animals of the West Indian fauna, including all the endemic sloths, most of the endemic rodents, and many parrots and bats (e.g. Olson 1982;Olson & Pregill 1982;Pregill et al 1988Pregill et al , 1991Pregill et al , 1994Steadman et al 1997;Pregill & Crother 1999;Morgan 2001). The biogeography of the living fauna and flora of the region must therefore be interpreted with caution.…”

Section: Geography Climate and Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

The West Indies as a laboratory of biogeography and evolution

Ricklefs

Bermingham

2007

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

211

267

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Islands have long provided material and inspiration for the study of evolution and ecology. The West Indies are complex historically and geographically, providing a rich backdrop for the analysis of colonization, diversification and extinction of species. They are sufficiently isolated to sustain endemic forms and close enough to sources of colonists to develop a dynamic interaction with surrounding continental regions. The Greater Antilles comprise old fragments of continental crust, some very large; the Lesser Antilles are a more recent volcanic island arc, and the low-lying Bahama Islands are scattered on a shallow oceanic platform. Dating of island lineages using molecular methods indicates over-water dispersal of most inhabitants of the West Indies, although direct connections with what is now southern Mexico in the Early Tertiary, and subsequent land bridges or stepping stone islands linking to Central and South America might also have facilitated colonization. Species-area relationships within the West Indies suggest a strong role for endemic radiations and extinction in shaping patterns of diversity. Diversification is promoted by opportunities for allopatric divergence between islands, or within the large islands of the Greater Antilles, with a classic example provided by the Anolis lizards. The timing of colonization events using molecular clocks permits analysis of colonization-extinction dynamics by means of species accumulation curves. These indicate low rates of colonization and extinction for reptiles and amphibians in the Greater Antilles, with estimated average persistence times of lineages in the West Indies exceeding 30 Myr. Even though individual island populations of birds might persist an average of 2 Myr on larger islands in the Lesser Antilles, recolonization from within the archipelago appears to maintain avian lineages within the island chain indefinitely. Birds of the Lesser Antilles also provide evidence of a mass extinction event within the past million years, emphasizing the time-heterogeneity of historical processes. Geographical dynamics are matched by ecological changes in the distribution of species within islands over time resulting from adaptive radiation and shifts in habitat, often following repeatable patterns. Although extinction is relatively infrequent under natural conditions, changes in island environments as a result of human activities have exterminated many populations and othersespecially old, endemic species-remain vulnerable. Conservation efforts are strengthened by recognition of aesthetic, cultural and scientific values of the unique flora and fauna of the West Indies.

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Section: Geography Climate and Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

The West Indies as a laboratory of biogeography and evolution

Ricklefs

Bermingham

2007

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

211

267

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“…Through direct radiocarbon ( 14 C) dating using accelerator-mass spectrometer (AMS) technology, we now know that at least some of the large, extinct West Indian mammals, such as sloths, survived well into the Holocene (5-7). Although AMS 14 C dates on insular sloth fossils range from the mid-Holocene to the late Pleistocene (7)(8)(9), all successful AMS 14 C dates done thus far on extirpated West Indian reptiles, birds, or micromammals (bats) are Holocene rather than Pleistocene (10)(11)(12).…”

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confidence: 99%

Vertebrate community on an ice-age Caribbean island

Steadman

Albury

Kakuk

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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We report 95 vertebrate taxa (13 fishes, 11 reptiles, 63 birds, 8 mammals) from late Pleistocene bone deposits in Sawmill Sink, Abaco, The Bahamas. The >5,000 fossils were recovered by scuba divers on ledges at depths of 27-35 m below sea level. Of the 95 species, 39 (41%) no longer occur on Abaco (4 reptiles, 31 birds, 4 mammals). We estimate that 17 of the 39 losses (all of them birds) are linked to changes during the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition (PHT) (∼15-9 ka) in climate (becoming more warm and moist), habitat (expansion of broadleaf forest at the expense of pine woodland), sea level (rising from −80 m to nearly modern levels), and island area (receding from ∼17,000 km 2 to 1,214 km 2 ). The remaining 22 losses likely are related to the presence of humans on Abaco for the past 1,000 y. Thus, the late Holocene arrival of people probably depleted more populations than the dramatic physical and biological changes associated with the PHT.vertebrates | fossils | island | extinction | Pleistocene

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“…n/a n /a n /a Yap lslands 120 180 1200 3 0 0 n/a n /a n /a East Caroline Islands 580 790 2100 13 2 4 n/a n /a n /a Admiralty Islands 2000 720 275 6 0 2 n/a n /a n /a Islands 180 1380 640 3 0 2 n/a n /a n /a Ogasawara Islands 73 400 1000 4 3 1 n/a n /a n /a Nansei Shoto Islands 4500 1930 50 8 1 5 n/a n /a n /a Wake Island 7 6 3100 1 1 0 n/a n /a n /a Nauru 21 70 2200 1 0 1 n/a n /a n /a Rotuma 47 250 2700 1 0 1 n/a n /a n /a Niuafo'ou 55 250 3000 0 0 0 n/a n /a n /a Tonga 700 1030 3100 1 0 0 9 0 n/a Antipodes Islands 21 400 2400 1 0 1 n/a n /a n /a Rapa 40 630 5500 1 0 1 n/a n /a n /a Pitcaim 5 340 5600 1 0 1 n/a n /a n /a Nihoa 1 280 4500 0 0 0 n/a n /a n /a Easter Island 162 510 3700 0 0 0 5 0 n/a Niue 259 70 3800 0 0 0 2 0 n/a Guadalupe Island 280 1300 250 2 1 1 n/a n /a n /a Socorro Island 150 1130 450 4 1 2 n/a n /a n /a Cocos Island 47 700 500 3 0 3 n/a n /a n /a Brobkorb (1972), Olson (1978Olson ( , 1985, Milberg Milberg andTyrberg (1993) 7000 andTyrberg (1993) Lesser Antilles Brobkorb (1964), Olson (1978), Steadman et al (1984), Watters et 5000 Milberg andTyrberg (1993) al. (1984), Pregill et al (1988Pregill et al ( , 1994, Steadman (1999b), Reis and Steadman (1999), Steadman and Hilgartner (1999 Worthy and Holdaway (1995), Holdaway (1999) 1200 Rouse (1986) South Island New Zealand Millener (1991, Worthy and Holdaway (1995), Holdaway (1999) 1200 Rouse (1986) Auckland Islands 200 Rudge and Campbell (1977), Chernow and Vallasi (1993) Chatham Islands Tennyson and Millener (1994), Millener (1999) 500 Irwin (1992) Southern Cook Islands Steadm...…”

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confidence: 99%

Patterns of endemic extinctions among island bird species

Biber¹

2002

Ecography

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The relationship between island biogeography and the vulnerability of island biota to extinction as a result of human activities was examined. In particular, this study analyzed whether island area, maximum elevation of an island, isolation from the nearest continental landmass, or date of human colonization had statistically significant relationships with the proportion of endemic island bird species that have become endangered or extinct. The study examined islands or island groups with endemic bird species, and which have never been connected to a continental landmass. Both modern and fossil bird species were incorporated into the analysis. Islands that were colonized by humans earliest had the lowest proportion of modern species alone, and modern and fossil species combined, that have gone extinct. However, date of human arrival was not correlated with the proportion of modern species that are endangered. Maximum elevation of an island was negatively correlated with the proportion of modern species that are extinct, and was positively correlated with the proportion of modern species that are endangered. Area was negatively correlated with the proportion of modern species that are endangered. Isolation of islands was not significantly correlated with the proportion of modern species extinct or endangered, but was positively correlated with the proportion of modern and fossil species combined that have gone extinct. These results indicate that the initial spasm of island bird extinctions due to human contact may have, in part, passed. They also indicate that bird species on islands colonized earliest by humans may have had more time to adapt to the presence of man and his commensal species, resulting in reduced extinction rates.

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Late Holocene fossil vertebrates from Burma Quarry, Antigua, Lesser Antilles

Cited by 55 publications

References 12 publications

The West Indies as a laboratory of biogeography and evolution

The West Indies as a laboratory of biogeography and evolution

Vertebrate community on an ice-age Caribbean island

Patterns of endemic extinctions among island bird species

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