Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ISLANDLAB (Island ecosystem ecology from deep prehistory to the Anthropocene)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-12-01 do 2025-05-31
Humans are fragmenting ecosystems into habitat ‘islands’, causing an unprecedented global collapse of large mammal populations just as science is discovering their essential ecological roles. The impact of these losses is such that our understanding of the contemporary biosphere is clearly shaped by a world artificially depleted of terrestrial giants. However, we lack a continuous record in one location to fully understand how the loss of megafauna impacted ecosystem resilience over long timescales, and how these processes interact with human arrival and ecological modification. We also do not understand what drove these animals to extinction in many parts of the world. Was it climate alone, or human overkill, or some combination of both? The feedbacks and ecological legacies of these extinctions have important lessons for the current biodiversity crisis, yet the dearth of good quality fossil and contextual data from many regions, settings and species has prevented robust appraisal.
ISLANDLAB is exploring these questions using the Maltese Islands as a frame of reference for the effects of anthropogenic ecosystem fragmentation. This is because Malta is (i) one of the most remote islands in the Mediterranean, and was therefore a 'final frontier' of pristine natural systems, (ii) featured a miniaturised megafauna of its own, although the ecosystem-animal size ratio still holds, (iii) as an island, there are a number of parameters that can be controlled, e.g. animals cannot wander off anywhere else, and remains are easier to find than on vast continental regions. The project is reconstructing a 200,000 year climate record using multiple different proxies, from cave formations (speleothems) to the isotopes of animal teeth. At the same time, archaeological excavations are determine when humans first arrived on the islands and what their impacts were on the natural systems they found there. The project has already uncovered evidence for the late survival of many species thought to have gone extinct on Malta in a much earlier timeframe, as well as evidence of species we never knew were present. As a result, ecosystem reconstructions, including both animals and vegetation, are also yielding new insights into this "Mediterranean Galapagos" over the the timeframe of the project. The extinction dates of a series of diverse endemic species are also being established for the first time using cutting-edge chronometric estimates, creating a timeline of faunal collapse that can be compared both with changes in climate as well as, ultimately, human arrivals. This is allowing the project to start clarifying what the drivers of extinction were in every major case.
The impacts of the first humans on their ecosystems are being explored through extremely details archaeological and sedimentological analyses, with the first suite of publication forthcoming in 2025. As Maltese prehistory is defined by more than one wave of human arrivals, it is also possible to explore periods of ecosystem recovery inbetween and understand the legacies of ecological changes down to the era of Europe’s oldest monumental buildings. What emerges is a nuanced picture of both extinctions and conservation practices with lessons for the current climate and biodiversity crisis.
By the end of the project, ISLANDLAB will have shed important light on (i) the causes of megafauna collapse in the Mediterranean region, (ii) the impact of megafaunal loss on island ecosystems, (iii) the long-term legacies of megafaunal losses both on human societies and human-dominated landscapes. At the same time, ISLANDLAB will also have created a detailed local climate record for the Central Mediterranean, and pieced together the peopling of the Central Mediterranean island region, which is currently unclear. The project therefore has multiple outcomes, with significance for earth sciences, human sciences and policy making.
ISLANDLAB is exploring these questions using the Maltese Islands as a frame of reference for the effects of anthropogenic ecosystem fragmentation. This is because Malta is (i) one of the most remote islands in the Mediterranean, and was therefore a 'final frontier' of pristine natural systems, (ii) featured a miniaturised megafauna of its own, although the ecosystem-animal size ratio still holds, (iii) as an island, there are a number of parameters that can be controlled, e.g. animals cannot wander off anywhere else, and remains are easier to find than on vast continental regions. The project is reconstructing a 200,000 year climate record using multiple different proxies, from cave formations (speleothems) to the isotopes of animal teeth. At the same time, archaeological excavations are determine when humans first arrived on the islands and what their impacts were on the natural systems they found there. The project has already uncovered evidence for the late survival of many species thought to have gone extinct on Malta in a much earlier timeframe, as well as evidence of species we never knew were present. As a result, ecosystem reconstructions, including both animals and vegetation, are also yielding new insights into this "Mediterranean Galapagos" over the the timeframe of the project. The extinction dates of a series of diverse endemic species are also being established for the first time using cutting-edge chronometric estimates, creating a timeline of faunal collapse that can be compared both with changes in climate as well as, ultimately, human arrivals. This is allowing the project to start clarifying what the drivers of extinction were in every major case.
The impacts of the first humans on their ecosystems are being explored through extremely details archaeological and sedimentological analyses, with the first suite of publication forthcoming in 2025. As Maltese prehistory is defined by more than one wave of human arrivals, it is also possible to explore periods of ecosystem recovery inbetween and understand the legacies of ecological changes down to the era of Europe’s oldest monumental buildings. What emerges is a nuanced picture of both extinctions and conservation practices with lessons for the current climate and biodiversity crisis.
By the end of the project, ISLANDLAB will have shed important light on (i) the causes of megafauna collapse in the Mediterranean region, (ii) the impact of megafaunal loss on island ecosystems, (iii) the long-term legacies of megafaunal losses both on human societies and human-dominated landscapes. At the same time, ISLANDLAB will also have created a detailed local climate record for the Central Mediterranean, and pieced together the peopling of the Central Mediterranean island region, which is currently unclear. The project therefore has multiple outcomes, with significance for earth sciences, human sciences and policy making.
Work Package (WP) 1 consists of Multiproxy palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological reconstructions. The related sub-projects are described below:
Marine Coring: Samples from a sea core dated in high resolution from the Malta Plateau has been obtained. The samples are currently being analysed for plant micro and macrobotanical remains, isotopes and environmental DNA. This project will give us some insights into the nature of the filtered connection between Malta and Sicily during periods of low sea level, as well as giving us a detailed climate record over the last 20,000 years.
Speleothem Study: This subproject aims to obtain samples from cave formations (Speleothems) in order to date them and obtain an isotopic record of temperature and rainfall over the last 200,000 years.
Pollen, Phytolith and Anthracological Study: Pollen, silicious plant remains (phytoliths) and charcoal identification (anthracology) analyses are underway from the study sites. The first results will be published in the Spring of 2025.
Ancient DNA: Sediment samples from the study sites have yielded ancient DNA of mammals. Ancient DNA from mammalian remains has also been recovered and are being used to reconstruct the story of Malta’s unique island endemics, as well as determining when these animals died out.
Terrestial Coring: Terrestrial coring to obtain micro and macro botanical remains will take place in the Spring of 2025.
Faunal Teeth Isotopes: The isotopic study of faunal teeth recovered from the sites under study is underway with the first results accepted for publication.
Study of Tephras: Tephra samples are under analysis. These will constrain the chronology of mammalian remains.
WP2 concerns Multiproxy reconstructions of human biology and behaviour. This WP is also divided into a number of related subprojects. This WP2 primarily concerns excavations being conducted. Since the project begun, two seasons of excavation have already taken place at the excavation site, with detailed records recovered. The first results of these excavations have been accepted for publication and will appear in print in the Spring of 2025. The subprojects include:
Ancient Human DNA: This has been recovered from the sediments and human remains and is currently under analysis.
Strontium Map: We are finalizing the strontium map we have created for the Maltese Islands.
Archaeobotanical Analyses: Analyses of plant micro and macrobotanical remains from the excavation site are underway. T
Studies of Archaeological Materials: Pottery, stone tools, and other artefacts from the site are under study, with the first article accepted for publication.
Further workpackages are due to begin in 2025/2026.
Marine Coring: Samples from a sea core dated in high resolution from the Malta Plateau has been obtained. The samples are currently being analysed for plant micro and macrobotanical remains, isotopes and environmental DNA. This project will give us some insights into the nature of the filtered connection between Malta and Sicily during periods of low sea level, as well as giving us a detailed climate record over the last 20,000 years.
Speleothem Study: This subproject aims to obtain samples from cave formations (Speleothems) in order to date them and obtain an isotopic record of temperature and rainfall over the last 200,000 years.
Pollen, Phytolith and Anthracological Study: Pollen, silicious plant remains (phytoliths) and charcoal identification (anthracology) analyses are underway from the study sites. The first results will be published in the Spring of 2025.
Ancient DNA: Sediment samples from the study sites have yielded ancient DNA of mammals. Ancient DNA from mammalian remains has also been recovered and are being used to reconstruct the story of Malta’s unique island endemics, as well as determining when these animals died out.
Terrestial Coring: Terrestrial coring to obtain micro and macro botanical remains will take place in the Spring of 2025.
Faunal Teeth Isotopes: The isotopic study of faunal teeth recovered from the sites under study is underway with the first results accepted for publication.
Study of Tephras: Tephra samples are under analysis. These will constrain the chronology of mammalian remains.
WP2 concerns Multiproxy reconstructions of human biology and behaviour. This WP is also divided into a number of related subprojects. This WP2 primarily concerns excavations being conducted. Since the project begun, two seasons of excavation have already taken place at the excavation site, with detailed records recovered. The first results of these excavations have been accepted for publication and will appear in print in the Spring of 2025. The subprojects include:
Ancient Human DNA: This has been recovered from the sediments and human remains and is currently under analysis.
Strontium Map: We are finalizing the strontium map we have created for the Maltese Islands.
Archaeobotanical Analyses: Analyses of plant micro and macrobotanical remains from the excavation site are underway. T
Studies of Archaeological Materials: Pottery, stone tools, and other artefacts from the site are under study, with the first article accepted for publication.
Further workpackages are due to begin in 2025/2026.
The ISLANDLAB project is halfway through, and is at the point where the first wave of major results have been accepted for publication, or is the process of being submitted for publication. The project's outcomes at present include:
1) A detailed, long-term climate record for the Maltese Islands
2) Detailed palaeecological reconstructions, with faunal extinction dates and ancestry explored where possible
3) New details on the first human arrivals on Malta
4) A detailed study of human interaction with island endemic fauna and the ecological consequences of these behaviours
Further research will continue to elucidate these details as results emerge from the suite of cutting-edge scientific analyses currently being conducted.
1) A detailed, long-term climate record for the Maltese Islands
2) Detailed palaeecological reconstructions, with faunal extinction dates and ancestry explored where possible
3) New details on the first human arrivals on Malta
4) A detailed study of human interaction with island endemic fauna and the ecological consequences of these behaviours
Further research will continue to elucidate these details as results emerge from the suite of cutting-edge scientific analyses currently being conducted.