Document Detail


Prehistoric bird extinctions and human hunting.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  11886645     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Holocene fossils document the extinction of hundreds of bird species on Pacific islands during prehistoric human occupation. Human hunting is implicated in these extinctions, but the impact of hunting is difficult to disentangle from the effects of other changes induced by humans, including habitat destruction and the introduction of other mammalian predators. Here, we use data from bones collected at a natural sand dune site and associated archaeological middens in New Zealand to show that, having controlled for differences in body mass and family membership (and hence for variation in life-history traits related to population growth rate), birds that were more intensively hunted by prehistoric humans had a higher probability of extinction. This result cannot be attributed to preservation biases and provides clear evidence that selective hunting contributed significantly to prehistoric bird extinctions at this site.
Authors:
Richard P Duncan; Tim M Blackburn; Trevor H Worthy
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society     Volume:  269     ISSN:  0962-8452     ISO Abbreviation:  Proc. Biol. Sci.     Publication Date:  2002 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2002-03-11     Completed Date:  2002-07-11     Revised Date:  2010-09-14    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101245157     Medline TA:  Proc Biol Sci     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  517-21     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Ecology and Entomology Group, Division of Soil, Plant and Ecological Sciences, PO Box 84, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Birds / physiology*
Ecosystem*
Evolution*
Fossils*
Human Activities*
Humans
Phylogeny
Population Dynamics
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