To all,
I debated (myself) where to post this in the Palanth Forum, finally deciding the Palaeoenvironmental studies board most appropriate, and needed a boost. So....I recommend the following, a paper from
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Paleoecology Volume 243 (1-2): 152-173, the January 2007 issue, which ScienceDirect has made available free to all, at
HERE.
Characteristics of Pleistocene megafauna extinctions in Southeast Asia
Julien Louysa, b, , , Darren Curnoe, a and Haowen Tong, c
a Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, University of NSW, Sydney 2052, Australia
b School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of NSW, Sydney 2052, Australia
c Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044 Beijing, China
Abstract
The extinction of large-bodied taxa from the Pleistocene in Southeast Asia is examined. Although the chronological resolution of these extinctions is poor, and number of excavations in the region relatively few, broad characteristics of these extinctions can be described. Many taxa which became extinct appear to have been endemic to regions within Southeast Asia, while some taxa which experienced extinction or severe range reduction occurred in several regions. Members of the latter group include proboscideans (Stegodon and Palaeloxodon), the pygmy hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon), the orangutan (Pongo), hyenas (Crocuta and Hyaena), the giant panda (Ailuropoda), tapirs (Tapirus and Megatapirus), rhinoceroses (Rhinoceros), and the giant Asian ape Gigantopithecus. The loss of these species cannot be assigned to a single cause. Rather their disappearance is likely tied to both climatic and human agents. Unlike other regions which experienced megafauna extinctions, eustatic changes in sea level in Southeast Asia seems to have been an important factor.
Keywords: Pleistocene; Extinction; Megafauna; Southeast Asia
Copyright © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
I'm just getting around to reading this now, but I thought I'd inform anyone interested in palaeoenvironmental studies that the entire January 2007 issue content is free to all,
HERE.
Dar
