Subfossil lemur discoveries from the Beanka Protected Area in western Madagascar

Burney, David A.; Andriamialison, Haingoson; Andrianaivoarivelo, Radosoa A.; Bourne, Steven; Crowley, Brooke E.; Boer, Erik J. de; Godfrey, Laurie R.; Goodman, Steven M.; Griffiths, Christine; Griffiths, Owen; Hume, Julian P.; Joyce, Walter G.; Jungers, William L.; Marciniak, Stephanie; Middleton, Gregory J.; Muldoon, Kathleen M.; Noromalala, Eliette; Pérez, Ventura R.; Perry, George H.; Randalana, Roger; Wright, Henry T.

doi:10.1017/qua.2019.54

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Journal article

Subfossil lemur discoveries from the Beanka Protected Area in western Madagascar

Burney, David A. National Tropical Botanical Garden, 3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, Hawaii 96741, USA
Andriamialison, Haingoson Mention Anthropobiologie et Développement Durable, Domaine Sciences et Technologie, Université de Antananarivo, B.P. 906, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
Andrianaivoarivelo, Radosoa A. Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar, B.P. 11028, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
Bourne, Steven Naracoorte Lucindale Council, P.O. Box 2153, Naracoorte, Australia
Crowley, Brooke E. Departments of Geology and Anthropology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221, USA
Boer, Erik J. de Institute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera (ICTJA-CSIC), Lluís Solé i Sabaris s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Godfrey, Laurie R. Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts–Amherst, 240 Hicks Way, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
Goodman, Steven M. Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605, USA - Association Vahatra, BP 3972, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
Griffiths, Christine Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar, B.P. 11028, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
Griffiths, Owen Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar, B.P. 11028, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar - Australian Museum, 1 William St., Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia
Hume, Julian P. Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring HP23 6AP, United Kingdom
Joyce, Walter G. Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
Jungers, William L. Association Vahatra, BP 3972, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
Marciniak, Stephanie Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, Old Main, State College, Pennsylvania 16801, USA
Middleton, Gregory J. Sydney Speleological Society, Box 269, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7006, Australia
Muldoon, Kathleen M. Department of Anatomy, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona 85308, USA
Noromalala, Eliette Mention Anthropobiologie et Développement Durable, Domaine Sciences et Technologie, Université de Antananarivo, B.P. 906, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
Pérez, Ventura R. Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts–Amherst, 240 Hicks Way, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
Perry, George H. Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, Old Main, State College, Pennsylvania 16801, USA
Randalana, Roger Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar, B.P. 11028, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
Wright, Henry T. Museum of Anthropological Archaeology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, and Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, USA

02.10.2019

Published in:

Quaternary Research. - 2020, vol. 93, no. 1, p. 187–203

English A new fossil site in a previously unexplored part of western Madagascar (the Beanka Protected Area) has yielded remains of many recently extinct vertebrates, including giant lemurs (Babakotia radofilai, Palaeopropithecus kelyus, Pachylemur sp., and Archaeolemur edwardsi), carnivores (Cryptoprocta spelea), the aardvark-like Plesiorycteropus sp., and giant ground cuckoos (Coua). Many of these represent considerable range extensions. Extant species that were extirpated from the region (e.g., Prolemur simus) are also present. Calibrated radiocarbon ages for 10 bones from extinct primates span the last three millennia. The largely undisturbed taphonomy of bone deposits supports the interpretation that many specimens fell in from a rock ledge above the entrance. Some primates and other mammals may have been prey items of avian predators, but human predation is also evident. Strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) suggest that fossils were local to the area. Pottery sherds and bones of extinct and extant vertebrates with cut and chop marks indicate human activity in previous centuries. Scarcity of charcoal and human artifacts suggests only occasional visitation to the site by humans. The fossil assemblage from this site is unusual in that, while it contains many sloth lemurs, it lacks ratites, hippopotami, and crocodiles typical of nearly all other Holocene subfossil sites on Madagascar.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Géosciences

Language