A New Pleistocene bird assemblage from the Southern Pampas (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Cenizo, Marcos; Agnolín, Federico; Pomi, Lucas H.

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.12.009

Cited by 25 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…These losses have had strong ecosystem effects, notably via trophic cascades. The initial extinctions affected vegetation, fire regimes, biogeochemical cycling, and possibly even climate (33)(34)(35)(36), and are linked to losses among dependent species, such as scavenging birds and dung beetles (37)(38)(39)(40). Later and current megafauna losses have also had strong ecological impacts via, for example, abundance increases in medium-sized herbivores (41), mesopredator release (7), and disperser losses (42).…”

Section: Current Scientific Basis For Trophic Rewildingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Science for a wilder Anthropocene: Synthesis and future directions for trophic rewilding research

Svenning

Pedersen

Donlan

et al. 2015

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

472

506

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Trophic rewilding is an ecological restoration strategy that uses species introductions to restore top-down trophic interactions and associated trophic cascades to promote self-regulating biodiverse ecosystems. Given the importance of large animals in trophic cascades and their widespread losses and resulting trophic downgrading, it often focuses on restoring functional megafaunas. Trophic rewilding is increasingly being implemented for conservation, but remains controversial. Here, we provide a synthesis of its current scientific basis, highlighting trophic cascades as the key conceptual framework, discussing the main lessons learned from ongoing rewilding projects, systematically reviewing the current literature, and highlighting unintentional rewilding and spontaneous wildlife comebacks as underused sources of information. Together, these lines of evidence show that trophic cascades may be restored via species reintroductions and ecological replacements. It is clear, however, that megafauna effects may be affected by poorly understood trophic complexity effects and interactions with landscape settings, human activities, and other factors. Unfortunately, empirical research on trophic rewilding is still rare, fragmented, and geographically biased, with the literature dominated by essays and opinion pieces. We highlight the need for applied programs to include hypothesis testing and science-based monitoring, and outline priorities for future research, notably assessing the role of trophic complexity, interplay with landscape settings, land use, and climate change, as well as developing the global scope for rewilding and tools to optimize benefits and reduce human-wildlife conflicts. Finally, we recommend developing a decision framework for species selection, building on functional and phylogenetic information and with attention to the potential contribution from synthetic biology.conservation | megafauna | reintroduction | restoration | trophic cascades

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Section: Current Scientific Basis For Trophic Rewildingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Science for a wilder Anthropocene: Synthesis and future directions for trophic rewilding research

Svenning

Pedersen

Donlan

et al. 2015

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

472

506

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“…2). Other species did not undergo extinction, but suffered considerable range contractions, like the griffon (Gyps fulvus) and cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus)i n Europe, which became limited to certain areas in southern Europe (Holm & Svenning, 2014), as well as the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) and king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa)in South America (Cenizo, Agnolin & Pomi, 2015). The same happened with the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), which once occurred throughout North America, but retreated to the west coast where it could exploit carcasses of stranded marine megafauna (Chamberlain et al, 2005;Fox-Dobbs et al, 2006).…”

Section: (B) Large Predatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological and evolutionary legacy of megafauna extinctions

et al. 2017

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For hundreds of millions of years, large vertebrates (megafauna) have inhabited most of the ecosystems on our planet. During the late Quaternary, notably during the Late Pleistocene and the early Holocene, Earth experienced a rapid extinction of large, terrestrial vertebrates. While much attention has been paid to understanding the causes of this massive megafauna extinction, less attention has been given to understanding the impacts of loss of megafauna on other organisms with whom they interacted. In this review, we discuss how the loss of megafauna disrupted and reshaped ecological interactions, and explore the ecological consequences of the ongoing decline of large vertebrates. Numerous late Quaternary extinct species of predators, parasites, commensals and mutualistic partners were associated with megafauna and were probably lost due to their strict dependence upon them (co-extinctions). Moreover, many extant species have megafauna-adapted traits that provided evolutionary benefits under past megafauna-rich conditions, but are now of no or limited use (anachronisms). Morphological evolution and behavioural changes allowed some of these species partially to overcome the absence of megafauna. Although the extinction of megafauna led to a number of co-extinction events, several species that likely co-evolved with megafauna established new interactions with humans and their domestic animals. Species that were highly specialized in interactions with megafauna, such as large predators, specialized parasites, and large commensalists (e.g. scavengers, dung beetles), and could not adapt to new hosts or prey were more likely to die out. Partners that were less megafauna dependent persisted because of behavioural plasticity or by shifting their dependency to humans via domestication, facilitation or pathogen spill-over, or through interactions with domestic megafauna. We argue that the ongoing extinction of the extant megafauna in the Anthropocene will catalyse another wave of co-extinctions due to the enormous diversity of key ecological interactions and functional roles provided by the megafauna.

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“…As the great egret requires shallow water for foraging and vegetation for nest-building, favourable climate conditions at lower Brazilian latitudes during the LGM are likely to have allowed the establishment of populations. The palaeontological evidence available for South America indicates that several species of waterbirds did not become extinct during the LGM (Cenizo et al, 2015). A description of bird fauna during the interstadial MIS3 (37 800 ± 2300 ybp) in the Pampean region of Argentina reports the occurrence of Plegadis chihi, a species in the same order as the great egret (Cenizo et al, 2015).…”

Section: Genetic Diversity Demographic Expansion and Effective Populmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The palaeontological evidence available for South America indicates that several species of waterbirds did not become extinct during the LGM (Cenizo et al, 2015). A description of bird fauna during the interstadial MIS3 (37 800 ± 2300 ybp) in the Pampean region of Argentina reports the occurrence of Plegadis chihi, a species in the same order as the great egret (Cenizo et al, 2015). Evidence also suggests that extinction events were less dramatic in Brazil and Argentina than on the Pacific coast of South America (Cenizo et al, 2015).…”

Section: Genetic Diversity Demographic Expansion and Effective Populmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A description of bird fauna during the interstadial MIS3 (37 800 ± 2300 ybp) in the Pampean region of Argentina reports the occurrence of Plegadis chihi, a species in the same order as the great egret (Cenizo et al, 2015). Evidence also suggests that extinction events were less dramatic in Brazil and Argentina than on the Pacific coast of South America (Cenizo et al, 2015). This probably occurred owing to the fact that the flying skills of waterbirds allow them to shift their range in response to variable climate conditions and wetland availability.…”

Section: Genetic Diversity Demographic Expansion and Effective Populmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genetic structuring among populations of the great egret, Ardea alba egretta, in major Brazilian wetlands

Corrêa

Lama

Souza

2015

Aquatic Conservation

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ABSTRACT1. Waterbirds are increasingly affected by climate change and human disturbances to the wetlands on which they roost, forage and breed. The evolutionary response of populations to such changes is influenced by genetic variability and gene flow patterns, which enable long-term survival. Thus, genetic monitoring of waterbird populations can provide valuable information to support conservation measures and management policies for wetlands.2. This study assessed past and contemporary levels of genetic diversity, estimated effective population sizes (Ne) and investigated gene flow patterns among populations of the great egret, Ardea alba egretta, settled in major Brazilian wetlands.3. Samples (N = 200) were collected from the northern, central western, south-eastern and southern regions of Brazil. AMOVA, F-statistics, assignment tests, Bayesian clustering analyses and Ne were estimated based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite loci.4. The populations share most mitochondrial haplotypes, suggesting a common recent past. Mismatch analyses, Fs and D statistics, and SSD and Rg indices indicated significant signs of expansion in most populations. The time since expansion suggests that egrets colonized southern latitudes more recently, probably accompanying the supposed historical environmental changes in South America, with more stable habitats toward equatorial regions.5. MtDNA Ф ST revealed significant differentiation between the northern and both the central western and southern populations. Nuclear loci demonstrated significant structuring between the central western and southern populations, which showed similar effective sizes.6. Despite the considerable dispersal potential of the great egret, there is limited gene flow among populations located in different Brazilian wetlands. Therefore, colonies from different regions should be preserved, with special attention to the northern populations, whose allelic constitution differs from the other. This approach can be used to genetically monitor similar species in other wetlands or to great egret populations in other regions of the Americas.

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A New Pleistocene bird assemblage from the Southern Pampas (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Cited by 25 publications

References 46 publications

Science for a wilder Anthropocene: Synthesis and future directions for trophic rewilding research

Science for a wilder Anthropocene: Synthesis and future directions for trophic rewilding research

Ecological and evolutionary legacy of megafauna extinctions

Genetic structuring among populations of the great egret, Ardea alba egretta, in major Brazilian wetlands

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