Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Large Mammal Extinction and Human Colonization

博士论文改进补助金：大型哺乳动物灭绝和人类殖民

• 批准号: 1237800
• 负责人: Donald Grayson
• 金额: $ 2.44万
• 依托单位: University of Washington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-08-01 至 2014-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1237800&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Grant; Large

Under the guidance of Dr. Donald K. Grayson, Ms. Kayla Wopschall will analyze the remains of the extinct pygmy hippopotamus (Phanourios minutus) from the archaeological site Akrotiri Aetokremnos. Aetokremnos is located in the southernmost portion of the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Dating to ca. 10,500 years ago, it is the oldest known archaeological site on the island and provides evidence of some of the earliest seafaring by people in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, this site also contains the most recent known specimens of the Cypriot pygmy hippo. The connection between the earliest human colonization of the island and the disappearance of this large mammal has led many to believe that human hunting was the cause of the pygmy hippo's ultimate demise. Ms. Wopschall will focus on the bones, teeth and ancient DNA of this species to determine if humans did make an impact by hunting and/or introducing other animals that may have become competitors for resources. She will also document any prehistoric climatic change that may have occurred during this time and the potential impact such a change may have had on the disappearance of the pygmy hippo. Archaeologists and paleontologists often find that initial human colonization of island environments leads to the disappearance of vertebrates. Human hunting of naïve fauna coupled with indirect anthropogenic affects (e.g. large scale burning and/or the introduction of invasive species) has had devastating consequences for island species. However, as more work has been done, scientists have discovered multiple cases where humans have coexisted for long periods of time with island vertebrates before those vertebrates became extinct, if extinction occurred at all, as well as situations in which island vertebrates have gone extinct in the absence of human occupation. As a result, the assumption that human colonization of islands leads to the extinction of island fauna needs to be rigorously tested for each individual species. In addition, most prior studies have focused on the Holocene (the last 10,000 years), deal with birds, not mammals, and/or have poor chronological control. There are very few cases where it has been shown that large mammals may have become extinct in such settings. The pygmy hippopotamus of Cyprus presents a unique opportunity to study a large mammal from the Pleistocene at a location with excellent chronological control. This study will provide valuable insight to the dynamics of large mammals on islands and their response to such different stressors as human hunting, the introduction of new species, and/or significant climate change.In addition to addressing these research issues, the project will provide educational material and outreach activities on the island of Cyprus as a whole, the British Royal Air Force base where Aetokremnos is located, and in the United States. Public education and outreach activities will be focused on children and young adults and will be center on the public understanding of archaeology and, more broadly, science. The results of this project will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and the raw data made available to the public through an archival database at the University of Washington. The findings will be incorporated in future courses taught by Ms. Wopschall at the university level.

在唐纳德·K博士的指导下，Grayson，Kayla Wopschall女士将分析来自考古遗址Akrotiri Aetokremnos的已灭绝的俾格米人的遗骸。Aetokremnos位于塞浦路斯东地中海岛屿的最南端。约会CA 10，500年前，它是岛上已知最古老的考古遗址，并提供了地中海地区最早的航海活动的证据。此外，该网站还包含塞浦路斯侏儒河马的最新标本。最早的人类殖民与这种大型哺乳动物的消失之间的联系使许多人相信人类的狩猎是侏儒河马最终死亡的原因。Wopschall女士将专注于这个物种的骨骼，牙齿和古老的DNA，以确定人类是否确实通过狩猎和/或引入其他可能成为资源竞争者的动物产生了影响。她还将记录这段时间可能发生的任何史前气候变化，以及这种变化可能对侏儒河马的消失产生的潜在影响。考古学家和古生物学家经常发现，最初人类对岛屿环境的殖民化导致了脊椎动物的消失。人类对原生动物的猎杀，加上间接的人为影响（例如大规模焚烧和/或引进入侵物种），对岛屿物种造成了毁灭性的后果。然而，随着更多的工作已经完成，科学家已经发现了多个案例，人类在这些脊椎动物灭绝之前与岛屿脊椎动物长期共存，如果灭绝发生的话，以及在没有人类占领的情况下岛屿脊椎动物已经灭绝的情况。因此，人类对岛屿的殖民化导致岛屿动物群灭绝的假设需要对每个物种进行严格的测试。此外，大多数先前的研究都集中在全新世（过去10，000年），处理鸟类，而不是哺乳动物，和/或有穷人的时间控制。很少有大型哺乳动物可能在这种环境中灭绝的情况。塞浦路斯的俾格米矮脚河马提供了一个独特的机会，研究一个大型哺乳动物从更新世的位置与良好的时间控制。这项研究将提供宝贵的洞察力的动态大型哺乳动物在岛屿上和他们的反应等不同的压力，如人类狩猎，引进新物种，和/或重大气候变化，除了解决这些研究问题，该项目将提供教育材料和推广活动，在整个塞浦路斯岛，英国皇家空军基地所在的Aetokremnos，在美国也是如此。公众教育和外展活动将侧重于儿童和年轻人，并将以公众对考古学和更广泛的科学的理解为中心。该项目的结果将在同行审查的出版物中传播，原始数据将通过华盛顿大学的档案数据库向公众提供。研究结果将纳入Wopschall女士今后在大学一级讲授的课程。