Rapid human-induced landscape transformation in Madagascar at the end of the first millennium of the Common Era

Burns, Stephen J.; Godfrey, Laurie R.; Faina, Peterson; McGee, David; Hardt, B. F.; Ranivoharimanana, Lovasoa; Randrianasy, Jeannot

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.01.007

Cited by 110 publications

(163 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…1.5 ka BP (Fig. 6) after such long hiatuses may have been associated with changes in vegetation cover above the cave linked to human activities (e.g., Burns et al, 2016;Crowley and Samonds, 2013;Crowther et al, 2016;Voarintsoa et al, 2017b). Lower δ 13 C values in Stalagmite MAJ-5 after 0.8 ka BP (Fig.…”

Section: Malagasy Late Holocene Intervalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1). Sediments and fossils from these caves have already provided many insights about the paleoenvironmental and archaeological history of NW Madagascar (e.g., Burney et al, 1997Burney et al, , 2004Brook et al, 1999;Gommery et al, 2011;Jungers et al, 2008;Vasey et al, 2013;Burns et al, 2016;Voarintsoa et al, 2017b). Anjohibe (S15 • 32 33.3 , E046 • 53 07.4 ) and Anjokipoty (S15 • 34'42.2 , E046 • 44 03.7 ) are about 16.5 km apart (Fig.…”

Section: Regional Environmental Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most paleoclimate information from this region covers the last 2 millennia with more focus on the anthropogenic effects on the Malagasy ecosystems (e.g., Crowley and Samonds, 2013;Burns et al, 2016;Voarintsoa et al, 2017b). This is because several studies show that megafaunal extinctions in Madagascar coincide with the arrival of humans around 2-3 thousand (ka) BP (e.g., see Table 1 of Virah-Sawmy et al, 2010;MacPhee and Burney, 1991;Burney et al, 1997;Crowley, 2010).…”

Section: The Holocene In Nw Madagascarmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Stalagmites are used because of their potential to store significant climatic information (e.g., Fairchild and Baker, 2012, p. 9-10), and in Anjohibe Cave recent studies have shown the replicability of paleoclimate records from stalagmites (e.g., Burns et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Three distinct Holocene intervals of stalagmite deposition and nondeposition revealed in NW Madagascar, and their paleoclimate implications

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Petrographic features, mineralogy, and stable isotopes from two stalagmites, ANJB-2 and MAJ-5, respectively from Anjohibe and Anjokipoty caves, allow distinction of three intervals of the Holocene in NW Madagascar. The Malagasy early Holocene (between ca. 9.8 and 7.8 ka) and late Holocene (after ca. 1.6 ka) intervals (MEHI and MLHI, respectively) record evidence of stalagmite deposition. The Malagasy middle Holocene interval (MMHI, between ca. 7.8 and 1.6 ka) is marked by a depositional hiatus of ca. 6500 years.Deposition of these stalagmites indicates that the two caves were sufficiently supplied with water to allow stalagmite formation. This suggests that the MEHI and MLHI intervals may have been comparatively wet in NW Madagascar. In contrast, the long-term depositional hiatus during the MMHI implies it was relatively drier than the MEHI and the MLHI.The alternating wet-dry-wet conditions during the Holocene may have been linked to the long-term migrations of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). When the ITCZ's mean position is farther south, NW Madagascar experiences wetter conditions, such as during the MEHI and MLHI, and when it moves north, NW Madagascar climate becomes drier, such as during the MMHI. A similar wetdry-wet succession during the Holocene has been reported in neighboring locations, such as southeastern Africa. Beyond these three subdivisions, the records also suggest wet conditions around the cold 8.2 ka event, suggesting a causal relationship. However, additional Southern Hemisphere highresolution data will be needed to confirm this.

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Section: Malagasy Late Holocene Intervalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Regional Environmental Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Holocene In Nw Madagascarmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Three distinct Holocene intervals of stalagmite deposition and nondeposition revealed in NW Madagascar, and their paleoclimate implications

et al. 2017

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“…Almost all tortoise dates fall well before the landscape transformation documented in speleothem records [5] from the northwest.…”

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confidence: 98%

Madagascar's ephemeral palaeo-grazer guild: who ate the ancient C ₄ grasses?

Godfrey

Crowley

2016

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Madagascar today is 65% grassland. Its grassy biomes were widely interpreted as 'anthropogenic' before Bond et al. [1] challenged that view, claiming that grasses colonized Madagascar during the Miocene. Through an analysis of grass clade endemism and specialization, Vorontsova et al. [2] have marshalled compelling support for this argument.Still, many questions about Madagascar's grasslands remain, and they are critical to debates regarding why so many forest-dwelling animals disappeared after human arrival. We know that forests declined and grasslands expanded, but we do not know precisely when, why or to what extent. Did significant pre-contact expansion occur [3]? Did post-contact aridification trigger this transformation [4]? Did forests disappear as people shifted their subsistence strategy from ephemeral foraging to dedicated agro-pastoralism [5]? Did early human colonizers severely reduce Madagascar's natural grazer community through hunting, radically changing the fire ecology and ultimately destroying forests [6,7]? Normally, grasslands are maintained by natural fire and by grazers, usually large-bodied herbivores. But Madagascar's modern grazers (e.g. cattle and goats) were recently introduced. If pre-contact grasslands were extensive, we would expect to see a significant palaeo-grazer guild. The prime candidates are pygmy hippopotamuses and giant tortoises-animals that, along with giant lemurs and elephant birds, comprised Madagascar's now-extinct megafauna.According to Vorontsova et al.[2], previously published stable carbon isotope (d 13 C) data suggest that (i) Madagascar's hippopotamuses consumed a 'high proportion of C 4 plants' (i.e. grasses) [8] and (ii) its giant tortoises had diverse diets [9]. We were motivated to write this comment for three reasons. First, Crowley et al. [8] never claimed that Madagascar's hippopotamuses ate a 'high proportion of C 4 plants'. We did note that subfossil hippos, tenrecs, carnivorans and the endemic rodent Hypogeomys australis had higher d 13 C values than subfossil primates (except Hadropithecus [10]), but we never defended a high proportion of C 4 plants in the diets of any of these animals. Second, Vorontsova et al.[2] omitted important published isotope data on hippos and tortoises from Madagascar [8,11,12]. Third, we believe that the literature would benefit from greater discussion of these data. C 4 grasses (including those measured in Madagascar [11]) typically have d 13 C values between 211 and 214‰, while C 3 plants have much lower values, averaging between 226.5 and 231.5‰ for different Madagascan forests [13]. Assuming an offset of þ5‰ between herbivore bone collagen and plant diet (reviewed in [14]), pure C 4 consumers should have d 13 C values more than 29‰, those with pure C 3 diets should have d 13 C values less than 221.5‰, and those that consumed a relatively even mixture of C 3 and C 4 plants should have values of 214 to 218‰. Thus, herbivores with values between 218 and 221.5‰ likely consumed more C 3 than C 4 plants.Carbon isotope values f...

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Subfossil Lemurs

Godfrey

2017

The International Encyclopedia of Primatology

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Seventeen species of large‐bodied lemurs recently lived on the island of Madagascar alongside their smaller‐bodied still‐extant relatives. Called koala lemurs, monkey lemurs, and sloth lemurs (because of their convergences with other, distantly related animals), these lemurs occupied a wide variety of niches, displayed a range of locomotor behaviors, and had distinctively different diets. Known to scientists for well over a century, these creatures sported bizarre adaptations that have long fascinated paleontologists. Advances in molecular techniques have allowed scientists to reconstruct likely divergence dates and relationships among living and extinct lemur taxa; the Archaeolemuridae and Palaeopropithecidae are related to Indriidae, and the Megaladapidae to Lemuridae. Extinction occurred well after humans colonized Madagascar. There is increasing evidence that hunting played a major role in their extinction. While several lived well into the last millennium, populations appear to have been decimated prior to approximately 1,000 years ago.

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Rapid human-induced landscape transformation in Madagascar at the end of the first millennium of the Common Era

Cited by 110 publications

References 31 publications

Three distinct Holocene intervals of stalagmite deposition and nondeposition revealed in NW Madagascar, and their paleoclimate implications

Three distinct Holocene intervals of stalagmite deposition and nondeposition revealed in NW Madagascar, and their paleoclimate implications

Madagascar's ephemeral palaeo-grazer guild: who ate the ancient C ₄ grasses?

Subfossil Lemurs

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Rapid human-induced landscape transformation in Madagascar at the end of the first millennium of the Common Era

Cited by 110 publications

References 31 publications

Three distinct Holocene intervals of stalagmite deposition and nondeposition revealed in NW Madagascar, and their paleoclimate implications

Three distinct Holocene intervals of stalagmite deposition and nondeposition revealed in NW Madagascar, and their paleoclimate implications

Madagascar's ephemeral palaeo-grazer guild: who ate the ancient C 4 grasses?

Subfossil Lemurs

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Madagascar's ephemeral palaeo-grazer guild: who ate the ancient C ₄ grasses?