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

Kenneth F. Rijsdijk; Julian P. Hume; Frans Bunnik; F. B.Vincent Florens; Claudia Baider; Beth Shapiro; Johannes van der Plicht; Anwar Janoo; Owen Griffiths; Lars W. van den Hoek Ostende; Holger Cremer; Tamara Vernimmen; Perry G.B. De Louw; Assenjee Bholah; Salem Saumtally; Nicolas Porch; James Haile; Mike Buckley; Matthew Collins; Edmund Gittenberger

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.09.018

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

Kenneth F. Rijsdijk^*, Julian P. Hume, Frans Bunnik, F. B.Vincent Florens, Claudia Baider, Beth Shapiro, Johannes van der Plicht, Anwar Janoo, Owen Griffiths, Lars W. van den Hoek Ostende, Holger Cremer, Tamara Vernimmen, Perry G.B. De Louw, Assenjee Bholah, Salem Saumtally, Nicolas Porch, James Haile, Mike Buckley, Matthew Collins, Edmund Gittenberger

^*Corresponding author for this work

34 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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 bone fragments/m² and comprising 50% of all known extinct and extant vertebrate species (n_s = 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.

Original language	English
Journal	Quaternary Science Reviews
Volume	28
Issue number	1-2
Pages (from-to)	14-24
Number of pages	11
ISSN	0277-3791
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.09.018
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2009

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Rijsdijk, K. F., Hume, J. P., Bunnik, F., Florens, F. B. V., Baider, C., Shapiro, B., van der Plicht, J., Janoo, A., Griffiths, O., van den Hoek Ostende, L. W., Cremer, H., Vernimmen, T., De Louw, P. G. B., Bholah, A., Saumtally, S., Porch, N., Haile, J., Buckley, M., Collins, M., & Gittenberger, E. (2009). Mid-Holocene vertebrate bone Concentration-Lagerstätte on oceanic island Mauritius provides a window into the ecosystem of the dodo (Raphus cucullatus). Quaternary Science Reviews, 28(1-2), 14-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.09.018

Mid-Holocene vertebrate bone Concentration-Lagerstätte on oceanic island Mauritius provides a window into the ecosystem of the dodo (Raphus cucullatus). / Rijsdijk, Kenneth F.; Hume, Julian P.; Bunnik, Frans et al.
In: Quaternary Science Reviews, Vol. 28, No. 1-2, 01.01.2009, p. 14-24.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Rijsdijk, KF, Hume, JP, Bunnik, F, Florens, FBV, Baider, C, Shapiro, B, van der Plicht, J, Janoo, A, Griffiths, O, van den Hoek Ostende, LW, Cremer, H, Vernimmen, T, De Louw, PGB, Bholah, A, Saumtally, S, Porch, N, Haile, J, Buckley, M, Collins, M & Gittenberger, E 2009, 'Mid-Holocene vertebrate bone Concentration-Lagerstätte on oceanic island Mauritius provides a window into the ecosystem of the dodo (Raphus cucullatus)', Quaternary Science Reviews, vol. 28, no. 1-2, pp. 14-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.09.018

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abstract = "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 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-Lagerst{\"a}tte 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 Lagerst{\"a}tte 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.",

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AU - Bunnik, Frans

AU - Florens, F. B.Vincent

AU - Baider, Claudia

AU - Shapiro, Beth

AU - van der Plicht, Johannes

AU - Janoo, Anwar

AU - Griffiths, Owen

AU - van den Hoek Ostende, Lars W.

AU - Cremer, Holger

AU - Vernimmen, Tamara

AU - De Louw, Perry G.B.

AU - Bholah, Assenjee

AU - Saumtally, Salem

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N2 - 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 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.

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

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