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Prehistoric bird extinctions and human hunting
Richard P Duncan1, Tim M Blackburn, Trevor H Worthy
1Ecology and Entomology Group, Division of Soil, Plant and Ecological Sciences, PO Box 84, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|March 12, 2002
Summary
Prehistoric human hunting significantly drove bird extinctions on Pacific islands. Even after accounting for other factors, intensively hunted bird species faced a higher extinction risk, demonstrating selective hunting
Area of Science:
- Paleontology
- Archaeology
- Ecology
Background:
- Holocene fossils reveal hundreds of Pacific island bird extinctions during human prehistory.
- Human hunting is a suspected cause, but its impact is hard to separate from habitat destruction and introduced predators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the specific impact of prehistoric human hunting on bird extinction probabilities.
- To disentangle hunting effects from other human-induced environmental changes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of bird bones from a New Zealand sand dune site and archaeological middens.
- Statistical controls for body mass and avian family membership to account for life-history traits.
Main Results:
- Intensively hunted bird species exhibited a higher probability of extinction.
- This correlation remained significant after controlling for body mass and family membership.
- Results were not attributable to preservation biases.
Conclusions:
- Selective human hunting was a significant factor in prehistoric bird extinctions in New Zealand.
- This study provides clear evidence of hunting's direct impact on avian extinction events.