Elephant bird bones suggest early human activity in Madagascar 6,000 years earlier than expected

The first human settlers are thought to be the cause of the extinction of the Madagascar elephant. Now, researchers have found evidence that humans could be on the island 6,000 years earlier than expected, suggesting that they may have coexisted with the giants for thousands of years before to disappear.

What does it mean for the fast extinction hypothesis for Madagascar?

Marking elephants

A team of scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has discovered what appears to be chop marks on the bones of the already extinct elephant. The chop mark would have been made with a sharp tool, while the straightness of the cut and the absence of persistent cracks suggest that it was made on fresh bone.

The marks clearly suggest that the giant bird was hunted and cut up by prehistoric humans, but what is even more remarkable in the discovery is that radiocarbon dating revealed that the bone was about 10,500 years old. This means that, compared to the earlier belief that humans had settled on the island about 2,400 to 4,000 years ago, the human presence on the island probably took place 6,000 years ago.

Extinction hypothesis

What does the discovery mean for the hypothesis surrounding the extinction of the elephant bird? Many archaeologists accept the idea proposed four decades ago, namely that the extinction of the megafauna on the northern continents was probably the result of a blitzkrieg of the first human hunters encroaching on their territory and not because of factors such as climate change. In fact, Madagascar is considered essential to test this theory.

However, the current discovery suggests that humans may have coexisted with elephant birds and other massive creatures for thousands of years with limited negative impact on biodiversity. In fact, the lead author of the study, Dr. James Hansford of the ZSL Zoology Institute, states that the extinction of Madagascar's megafauna, including elephant seals, occurred less than a thousand years ago. years.

The ancient humans little known

Of course, it is not easy to tell if the first humans caused or contributed to the extinction of the megafauna in Madagascar, but it opens new doors to the understanding of the first humans who settled on the island. Until now, little is known about them, and co-author of the study, Professor Patricia Wright of Stony Brook University, has even stated that their origin is unknown and that there is no evidence of their genes in modern populations.

"The question remains: who were these people? And when and why did they disappear? "Said Professor Wright, adding that more archaeological evidence is needed to better understand and know them better.

The study is published in the journal Scientists progress.

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