A new subfossil locality for the extinct large Malagasy eagle <i>Stephanoaetus mahery</i> (Aves: Falconiformes): Implications for time of extinction and ecological specificity

Muldoon, Kathleen M.

doi:10.1177/0959683615622554

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Madagascar's living vertebrates exhibit markedly reduced diversity relative to what existed even a few hundred years ago. The island's subfossil (Late Pleistocene and Holocene) record has contributed greatly to our understanding of Madagascar's recent ecological evolution, and aided interpretations of recent environmental change; this record includes large‐bodied lemurs, elephant birds, pygmy hippos, crocodyliforms, turtles, bats, carnivorans, rodents and the aardvark‐like Plesiorycteropus (Burney et al ., ; Godfrey et al ., , ; Gommery et al ., ; Goodman & Muldoon, ; Goodman et al ., ; Samonds, ). The arrival of humans, the timing of which is still under debate (Anderson et al ., ; Dewar et al ., ; Godfrey et al ., ; Hansford et al ., ; Pierron et al ., ), nevertheless pre‐dated the decline and extinction of many of them, including the island's large (> 10 kg) native animals; the megafaunal crash did not occur until sometime during the past two millennia (Burney et al ., ; Crowley, ; Godfrey et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new late Pleistocene subfossil site (Tsaramody, Sambaina basin, central Madagascar) with implications for the chronology of habitat and megafaunal community change on Madagascar's Central Highlands

Samonds

Crowley

Rasolofomanana

et al. 2019

J Quaternary Science

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Madagascar is a complex ‘biodiversity hotspot’ with a rapidly dwindling biota. The Late Quaternary subfossil record includes many extinct species whose loss is attributed to natural climate change and human impacts. Investigation of the chronology of these events is challenging because few localities document pre‐Holocene communities not impacted by humans. Caves with extinct lemurs of large body size comprise some of Madagascar's richest subfossil sites, but provide only a limited window into the island's past. Open highland sites may have fewer primates, but may better document other megafauna, and allow the analysis of the role of the Central Highlands as refugia and as corridors for the dispersal of vertebrates before and after human arrival. Here we present a new subfossil site, Tsaramody (Sambaina basin, Central Madagascar), a high‐altitude wetland area that preserves a diverse late glacial and postglacial vertebrate community. Tsaramody bears testimony to fluctuations in the highland flora during the transition from glacial to postglacial conditions, and the composition of a highland vertebrate community before humans arrived. We compare its biota to those of other sites to begin to document the decline and disappearance of megafauna from some of Madagascar's open ecosystems – wetlands dominated by hippopotamuses and crocodylians. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new late Pleistocene subfossil site (Tsaramody, Sambaina basin, central Madagascar) with implications for the chronology of habitat and megafaunal community change on Madagascar's Central Highlands

Samonds

Crowley

Rasolofomanana

et al. 2019

J Quaternary Science

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“…Most of the remains recovered belong to smaller-bodied hawks, kites, and owls that would not be able to carry a quarry as large as Palaeopropithecus. However, remains of at least one extinct crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus mahery) have also been recovered from Ankilitelo (Goodman and Muldoon, 2016). This species was considerably larger than still-extant raptors, and likely larger than its living congener, the African crowned eagle, which regularly predates primates up to ca.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strontium Isotopes Support Small Home Ranges for Extinct Lemurs

Crowley

Godfrey

2019

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Among mammals, including anthropoid primates, the primary factors that affect mobility are body size (larger-bodied species move more than smaller ones), diet (frugivores and trophic omnivores are more mobile than folivores), and habit (terrestrial taxa have larger home ranges than arboreal ones). If similar factors hold for Lemuriformes, we would expect large-bodied (particularly frugivorous) extinct lemurs to have been more mobile than smaller-bodied (particularly folivorous) extant species. Yet multiple lines of evidence (e.g., low Retzius Periodicities, small semicircular canal size, small relative brain size) suggest that extinct lemurs were relatively inactive. If so, they may have had relatively small home ranges, perhaps on par with smaller-bodied extant lemurs. We used strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr), which vary spatially primarily as a function of geology, to compare mobility for eight lemur genera: Eulemur, Lemur, Lepilemur, and Propithecus (extant), and Archaeolemur, Megaladapis, Pachylemur, and Palaeopropithecus (extinct). Subfossils came from two sites: Ankilitelo/Mikoboka, a series of sinkholes in a limestone plateau, and Ampasambazimba, a wetland underlain by a variety of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Within either site, we expected more mobile taxa to exhibit more variable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, reflecting larger movement across a diversity of geologies. We found no differences in median 87 Sr/ 86 Sr or variance between extinct and extant lemurs at either site (Wilcoxon and Bartlett p > 0.05 for all comparisons). There were apparent but insignificant differences among genera (Kruskal-Wallis and Bartlett p > 0.05). Isotopic variability was greater at Ampasambazimba than at Ankilitelo/Mikoboka, reflecting differences in the underlying geology. One Palaeopropithecus from Ankilitelo/Mikoboka and one Eulemur from Ampasambazimba had unusually elevated 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. Both of these individuals could have been deposited at their respective sites by a predatory bird. These results demonstrate the value of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr for testing hypotheses related to the behavior of now-extinct species. Strontium isotopes support low mobility for extinct lemurs, and suggest that Lemuriformes as a whole differ from anthropoids in having relatively depressed basal metabolic rates and reduced activity levels. These traits reduce energetic expenditure, and likely developed in response to Madagascar's harsh environments. However, small home ranges also make lemurs more vulnerable to extinction.

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“… Map of Madagascar showing sites where Archaeolemur specimens used in this study were found. Ecoregions adapted from Goodman and Muldoon ( 2016 ). Range of dates for Ankarana sites from Simons et al ( 1995 ), Belo‐Sur‐Mer from Burney et al ( 2004 ), Ankilitelo cave from Muldoon et al ( 2009 ) …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tooth chipping patterns in Archaeolemur provide insight into diet and behavior

Towle

Constantino

Borths

et al. 2022

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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Objectives: Archaeolemur is a recently extinct genus of lemur that is often compared to some Cercopithecidae, especially baboons. This is due in part to their derived dentition, with large anterior teeth and reduced bilophodont molars. Research involving comparative morphology, analysis of coprolites, isotopes, and enamel structure, have suggested Archaeolemur had an omnivorous diet involving mechanically challenging items. Yet, microwear analysis of posterior teeth does not necessarily support this conclusion. Materials and Methods:In this macroscopic study, dental chipping was recorded on permanent teeth of Archaeolemur from different localities (53 individuals; 447 permanent teeth; including both A. edwardsi and A. majori specimens). This study aimed to compare chipping patterns across the dentition of Archaeolemur with chipping in other primates. Results:The results show enamel chipping was prevalent on the anterior teeth of Archaeolemur (38.9% of anterior teeth showed at least one fracture) yet rare in posterior teeth (9%). There was a decrease in chipping frequency across the dentition, moving distally from incisors (50%; 20/40), through caniniform teeth (30%; 15/50), premolars (9.5%; 16/169), and molars (8.5%; 16/188).Discussion: The results support previous research suggesting Archaeolemur had a varied omnivorous diet in which the anterior dentition was used for extensive food processing. This likely included mechanically challenging items such as tough/hard large fruits, small vertebrates, and crustaceans. Such a high rate of chipping in the anterior dentition is uncommon in other primates, with exception of hominins.

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A new subfossil locality for the extinct large Malagasy eagle Stephanoaetus mahery (Aves: Falconiformes): Implications for time of extinction and ecological specificity

Cited by 6 publications

References 21 publications

A new late Pleistocene subfossil site (Tsaramody, Sambaina basin, central Madagascar) with implications for the chronology of habitat and megafaunal community change on Madagascar's Central Highlands

A new late Pleistocene subfossil site (Tsaramody, Sambaina basin, central Madagascar) with implications for the chronology of habitat and megafaunal community change on Madagascar's Central Highlands

Strontium Isotopes Support Small Home Ranges for Extinct Lemurs

Tooth chipping patterns in Archaeolemur provide insight into diet and behavior

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