Worldwide Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene population declines in extant megafauna are associated with Homo sapiens expansion rather than climate change

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14(1)

Published: Nov. 24, 2023

The worldwide extinction of megafauna during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene is evident from fossil record, with dominant theories suggesting a climate, human or combined impact cause. Consequently, two disparate scenarios are possible for surviving this time period - they could have declined due to similar pressures, increased in population size reductions competition other biotic pressures. We therefore infer histories 139 extant species using genomic data which reveal declines 91% throughout Quaternary period, larger experiencing strongest decreases. Declines become ubiquitous 32-76 kya across all landmasses, pattern better explained by Homo sapiens expansion than changes climate. estimate that, consequence, total abundance, biomass, energy turnover decreased 92-95% over past 50,000 years, implying major human-driven ecosystem restructuring at global scale.

Language: Английский

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Functional traits—not nativeness—shape the effects of large mammalian herbivores on plant communities

Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 383(6682), P. 531 - 537

Published: Feb. 1, 2024

Large mammalian herbivores (megafauna) have experienced extinctions and declines since prehistory. Introduced megafauna partly counteracted these losses yet are thought to unusually negative effects on plants compared with native megafauna. Using a meta-analysis of 3995 plot-scale plant abundance diversity responses from 221 studies, we found no evidence that impacts were shaped by nativeness, "invasiveness," "feralness," coevolutionary history, or functional phylogenetic novelty. Nor was there introduced facilitate more than Instead, strong traits impacts, larger-bodied bulk-feeding promoting diversity. Our work suggests trait-based ecology provides better insight into interactions between do concepts nativeness.

Language: Английский

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The late-Quaternary megafauna extinctions: Patterns, causes, ecological consequences and implications for ecosystem management in the Anthropocene

Cambridge Prisms Extinction, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 2

Published: Jan. 1, 2024

Across the last ~50,000 years (the late Quaternary) terrestrial vertebrate faunas have experienced severe losses of large species (megafauna), with most extinctions occurring in Late Pleistocene and Early to Middle Holocene. Debate on causes has been ongoing for over 200 years, intensifying from 1960s onward. Here, we outline criteria that any causal hypothesis needs account for. Importantly, this extinction event is unique relative other Cenozoic 66 million years) its strong size bias. For example, only 11 out 57 megaherbivores (body mass ≥1,000 kg) survived present. In addition mammalian megafauna, certain groups also substantial extinctions, mainly non-mammalian vertebrates smaller but megafauna-associated taxa. Further, severity dates varied among continents, severely affected all biomes, Arctic tropics. We synthesise evidence against climatic or modern human (Homo sapiens) causation, existing tenable hypotheses. Our review shows there little support major influence climate, neither global patterns nor fine-scale spatiotemporal mechanistic evidence. Conversely, increasing pressures as key driver these emerging an initial onset linked pre-sapiens hominins prior Pleistocene. Subsequently, synthesize ecosystem consequences megafauna discuss implications conservation restoration. A broad range indicates elicited profound changes structure functioning. The late-Quaternary thereby represent early, large-scale human-driven environmental transformation, constituting a progenitor Anthropocene, where humans are now player planetary Finally, conclude restoration via trophic rewilding can be expected positive effects biodiversity across Anthropocene settings.

Language: Английский

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Trophic rewilding as a restoration approach under emerging novel biosphere conditions

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 34(9), P. R435 - R451

Published: May 1, 2024

Language: Английский

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Shifting baselines and the forgotten giants: integrating megafauna into plant community ecology

Oikos, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Feb. 5, 2025

The extensive, prehistoric loss of megafauna during the last 50 000 years led early naturalists to build founding theories ecology based on already‐degraded ecosystems. In this article, we outline how large herbivores affect community ecology, with a special focus plants, through changes selection, speciation, drift, and dispersal, thereby directly impacting ecosystem diversity functionality. However, attempts quantify effects processes are markedly scarce in past contemporary studies. We expect is due shifting baseline syndrome, where ecologists omit now‐missing extinct, when designing experiments theoretical models, despite evidence that shaped physical structure, biogeochemistry, species richness studied systems. Here, can be incorporated into central models integrate megaherbivore theory ecology. As anthropogenic impacts climate nutrient levels continue, further warping ecological disconnecting distributions from optimal conditions, importance quantifying herbivore functionality, such as facilitation dispersal coexistence, increases. Our findings indicate current scientific attention disproportionate their habitat structure evolutionary trajectories, well role play restoring diverse resilient

Language: Английский

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Vast extension but positive outcomes, reduced but negative: complexity and nuances in evaluating land use by livestock and crops

Animal Frontiers, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(1), P. 43 - 54

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Megafauna diversity and functional declines in Europe from the Last Interglacial to the present

Global Ecology and Biogeography, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 33(1), P. 34 - 47

Published: Nov. 17, 2023

Abstract Aim Reconstructing megafauna diversity in the past before anthropogenic impacts is crucial for developing targeted restoration strategies. We estimated and functional decline of European present compared with nearest in‐time climate period analogue to but prior worldwide diffusion Homo sapiens. Location Europe. Time Period Last Interglacial (LIG; ca. 127,000 years ago) present. Major Taxa Studied Wild, large (≥10 kg) terrestrial mammals. Methods assessed distribution 48 species during LIG using hindcasting modelling fossil records. Then, we community potential trait‐based effects from present, accounting differences between two periods. Results Species richness biomass dropped by 70.8% (±11.7%) 94.5% (±9.9%). Functional 80.3% (±15.3%) herbivores 64.9% (±29.1%) carnivores, while trait‐informed vegetation meat consumptions 82.3% (±13.4%) 60.5% (±26.0%). The loss associated ecological processes were high everywhere, particularly western Europe carnivores East Plain herbivores. Potential periods was similar if only climate‐driven considered. Main Conclusions Severe, size‐biased defaunation has degraded assemblages megafauna‐mediated across These patterns cannot be explained periods, thus likely driven prehistoric results suggest that structure wild ecosystems strongly deviates evolutionary norm, decreased heterogeneity fluxes biogeochemical compounds trophic networks, highlighting importance ambitious policies support ecosystem functioning.

Language: Английский

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EutherianCoP. An integrated biotic and climate database for conservation paleobiology based on eutherian mammals

Scientific Data, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: Jan. 13, 2025

Language: Английский

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Temperate forest plants are associated with heterogeneous semi-open canopy conditions shaped by large herbivores

Nature Plants, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 14, 2025

Language: Английский

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An exploration of biodiversity limits to grazing ruminant milk and meat production

Nature Sustainability, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 7(9), P. 1160 - 1170

Published: July 25, 2024

Abstract The production and consumption of animal-source foods must be transformed to mitigate negative environmental outcomes, including greenhouse gas emissions land-use change. However, livestock are also key for food livelihoods in some settings, they can help preserve biodiversity certain ecosystems. Previous studies have not yet fully explored sustainability limits the use grazing lands context biodiversity. Here we explore ‘biodiversity limits’ grassland ruminant by estimating meat milk from domestic ruminants limited areas stocking densities where contribute preservation or restoration With biodiversity-friendly intensities at 0–20% biomass removal depending on aridity, this take corresponds 9–13% 26–40% current grassland-based production, respectively. This equals only 2.2 kg 0.8 per capita year, globally, but altered management moving meat-specialized meat-and-dairy systems could increase potential while still remaining within approach limits.

Language: Английский

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