September
12, 2018, Zoological Society of London
Disarticulation
marks on the base of the tarsometatarsus. These cut marks were made when
removing the toes from the foot. Credit: ZSL
Analysis
of bones, from what was once the world's largest bird, has revealed that humans
arrived on the tropical island of Madagascar more than 6,000 years earlier than
previously thought—according to a study published today, 12 September 2018, in
the journal Science Advances.
A team of
scientists led by international conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of
London) discovered that ancient bones from the extinct Madagascan
elephant birds (Aepyornis
and Mullerornis) show cut marks and depression fractures consistent with
hunting and butchery by prehistoric humans.
Using radiocarbon dating techniques, the team were then able to determine when
these giant birds had been killed, reassessing when humans first reached
Madagascar.
Previous
research on lemur bones and archaeological artefacts suggested that humans
first arrived in Madagascar 2,400-4,000 years ago. However, the new study
provides evidence of human presence
on Madagascar as far back as 10,500 years ago—making these modified elephant
bird bones the earliest known evidence of humans on the island.
Lead
author Dr. James Hansford from ZSL's Institute of Zoology said: "We
already know that Madagascar's megafauna—elephant birds, hippos, giant
tortoises and giant lemurs—became extinct less than 1,000 years ago. There are
a number of theories about why this occurred, but the extent of human
involvement hasn't been clear.
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