RAPID: Renewal. Paleontological Reconnaissance of Threatened, Submerged Primate Fossils in a Flooded Cave

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The fossil record represents one of the few ways that heavily impacted or now-extinct habitats and communities can be reconstructed in order to understand what happened to ecosystems over time. A rich new source of fossils recently has been discovered in large flooded caves in Tsimanampesotse National Park, Madagascar, providing a "snapshot" of a past ecological community. This fossil "graveyard" contains abundant giant extinct lemurs as well as the skeletal remains of other animal species that co-existed with them. It lies in a location in which only two lemur species survive today, and in a habitat that could not today support the wealth of species that lived there just a few thousand years ago. This project will build upon survey work conducted in 2014, with new collection and preservation of a representative sample of fossils from the flooded caves, and collection of speleothems that can provide a detailed and accurate climate and vegetation history of the region. Broader impacts include facilitating research on climate change, biodiversity, and population ecology (including of primates) through the resulting skeletal collection, public science outreach through multiple media both in the US and in Madagascar, training of students, and international collaborations.In this project, the investigators will conduct additional surveys of the caves; collect multiple skeletons for each of several species (including Pachylemur and Megaladapis); and assess intraspecific variation and suitability for ancient DNA, radiocarbon dating, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. In addition, speleothems will be collected and analyzed for records of change in climate, precipitation and atmospheric circulation over the past several glacial cycles, and for obtaining dates for the sites. This work will be important for piloting the methods needed to extract information from the fossils themselves, such as interpreting the relative impacts of human agency and climate change on the demise of the megafauna. The caves are in need of immediate attention because they are poorly protected from human and weather disturbances. The environment is sensitive to climatic and geological factors which can rapidly harm fragile specimens or destroy them entirely.