Long-term perspective on fishing and mammal defaunation in the Atlantic forest coast of Brazil using archaeological faunal remains
Fossile, Thiago (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
McGrath, Krista (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Prehistòria)
Presslee, Samantha (University of York. Department of Archaeology)
Fogarty, George (University of York. Department of Archaeology)
Pavei, Diego Dias (Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Laboratório de Ensino e Pesquisa em Antropologia e Arqueologia)
Alves, Maria Cristina (Universidade da Região de Joinville. Laboratório de Arqueologia e Patrimônio Arqueológico)
Ferreira, Jessica (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro)
Montes, Tatiane Andaluzia (Universidade Federal do Paraná)
Bandeira, Dione da Rocha (Museu Arqueológico de Sambaqui de Joinville)
Borba, Fernanda Mara (Museu Arqueológico de Sambaqui de Joinville)
Colonese, Andre Carlo (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)

Date:	2023
Description:	18 pàg.
Abstract:	Background and research aim: Escalating anthropogenic threats to the Atlantic Forest, a renowned biodiversity hotspot, has placed the region in the spotlight for current conservation efforts. Faunal overexploitation and habitat degradation are among key factors driving the region's recent declines in faunal populations and biodiversity. Assessing the scale of these impacts is complicated by the near-complete absence of historical reference baselines. - Methodology: Here, we provide a contribution to bridge this knowledge gap by analysing faunal remains from two historical archaeological sites, Morro Grande 1 (MG1) and Praia Grande Unidade 21 (PG-U21), in Babitonga Bay (Santa Catarina state, Brazil) dated between 1750 to 1950 AD. - Results: Our results revealed that fishing and hunting played a crucial role in household consumption and economic livelihoods during the European colonisation of southern Brazil. Native terrestrial mammals made up a significant proportion of faunal remains at both sites. This suggests that species currently undergoing population declines were exploited in the region for at least the past two centuries. - Conclusion: This study provides compelling evidence that the selective hunting of medium- and large-bodied native terrestrial mammals has persisted in the region for over 4500 years, and requires us to reconsider the idea of a heavy reliance on domestic animals during early European colonisation of southern Brazil. Our study thus traces the causes of regional terrestrial mammal defaunation back to the Pre-colonial and Historical times. - Implication for conservation: We recommend the integration of historical and archaeological data into modern faunal population assessments and conservation initiatives to set more informed reference baselines.
Grants:	European Commission 817911 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CEX2019-000940-M Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2021/SGR-00527
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Atlantic Forest ; Babitonga Bay ; Colonial fishing and hunting ; Faunal analysis ; Mammal defaunation ; SDG 15 - Life on Land
Published in:	Tropical Conservation Science, Vol. 16 (December 2023) , ISSN 1940-0829

DOI: 10.1177/19400829231218419

18 p, 1.5 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles