プレイストセーンからホロセーンまでの巨大鹿と毛深いマンモスの絶滅のダイナミクス
A J Stuart1, P A Kosintsev, T F G Higham
1Department of Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK. Tony@megafauna.freeserve.co.uk
Nature
|October 8, 2004
まとめ
巨大な鹿 (アイルランドのエルク) は,7,700年前までシベリアで生き残り,以前の絶滅のタイムラインに挑戦しました. 彼らの生存と分布のシフトは,プレイストセンの出来事だけでなく,ホロセンの気候と植生の変化の影響を受けた.
科学分野:
- パレオントロジー・パレオントロジー
- 四次科学とは四次科学である.
- パレオエコロジー (古生態学)
背景:
- 後期プレイストセンのメガファウナの絶滅は,しばしば人間の過剰殺戮や気候変動に起因する.
- 以前の研究によると,ユーラシアのメガファウナはプレイストセーン/ホロセンの境界で消滅したと考えられていた.
- 最近の発見は,いくつかの種が以前考えられていたよりも長く存在していたことを示しています.
研究 の 目的:
- 巨大鹿 (アイルランドのエルク) の絶滅年代を正確に決定するために.
- 地理的および時間的データを調査することによって,メガファウナの絶滅の原因に関する仮説を検証する.
- メガファウナの生存と分布のシフトに影響を与える生態学的要因を理解する.
主な方法:
- 西シベリアの巨大鹿の化石の放射性炭素年代測定.
- メガファウナの地理的分布と時間的データの分析.
- 絶滅パターンの気候や植生の変化との比較.
主要な成果:
- 巨大鹿は西シベリアで,放射性炭素年代約6,900年 BP (7,700年前) まで生き残った.
- この生き残りの時期は,以前から認められていた時期より3千年以上遅れている.
- 巨大鹿と毛深いマンモスの両方とも,気候/植生の変化による顕著な分布の変化を経験しました.
結論:
- 巨大鹿の絶滅はプレイストセンの時代ではなく,ホロセンの時代に起こった可能性が高い.
- この種の絶滅の原因は,ホロセンの環境文脈の中で考慮する必要があります.
- 異なる生態学的適応が,環境変化に対する巨大鹿と毛深いマンモスの独特の反応に影響を与えた.
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