Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction - What is it and What Does it Do? - Ep 56

This episode brings together episodes 53 to 55 as the unexpected finale of a ‘secret miniseries’ on how zooarchaeology can be used to reconstruct palaeoenvironments in conjunction with other archaeological subdisciplines. But how can the presence or absence of a given toad species infer on past environments? Tune in to find out! Case studies feature the humble European pond turtle/terrapin/tortoise and the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of an Upper Pleistocene hyena den in Bois Roche, France.

• Betts, M. W., Maschner, H. D., Clark, D. S., Moss, M. L., & Cannon, A. (2011). Zooarchaeology of the “Fish That stops”. Moss, ML and Cannon, A., The Archaeology of North Pacific Fisheries, University of Alaska Press, Fairbanks, 171-195.
• Foden, W. B. et al. (2009). Species susceptibility to climate change impacts. Wildlife in a changing world–an analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of threatened species, 77.
• Muniz, F. P., Bissaro-Júnior, M. C., Guilherme, E., Souza-Filho, J. P. D., Negri, F. R., & Hsiou, A. S. (2021). Fossil frogs from the upper Miocene of southwestern Brazilian Amazonia (Solimões Formation, Acre Basin). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 41(6), e2089853.
• Sommerseth, I. (2011). Archaeology and the debate on the transition from reindeer hunting to pastoralism. Rangifer, 31(1), 111-127.
• Sommer, R. S., Persson, A., Wieseke, N., & Fritz, U. (2007). Holocene recolonization and extinction of the pond turtle, Emys orbicularis (L., 1758), in Europe. Quaternary Science Reviews, 26(25-28), 3099-3107.
• Sommer, R. S. et al. (2009). Unexpected early extinction of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) in Sweden and climatic impact on its Holocene range. Molecular Ecology, 18(6), 1252-1262.
• Waters, J. M., Fraser, C. I., Maxwell, J. J., & Rawlence, N. J. (2017). Did interaction between human pressure and Little Ice Age drive biological turnover in New Zealand?. Journal of Biogeography, 44(7), 1481-1490.
• Villa, P., Goni, M. F. S., Bescos, G. C., Grün, R., Ajas, A., Pimienta, J. C. G., & Lees, W. (2010). The archaeology and paleoenvironment of an Upper Pleistocene hyena den: an integrated approach. Journal of Archaeological Science, 37(5), 919-935.
• Yeomans, L. (2018). Influence of Global and Local Environmental Change on Migratory Birds: Evidence for Variable Wetland Habitats in the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene of the Southern Levant. Journal of Wetland Archaeology, 18(1), 20-34.
• Zuffi, M. A. L.; Celani, A.; Foschi, E.; Tripepi, S. (2007). "Reproductive strategies and body shape in the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) from contrasting habitats in Italy". Italian Journal of Zoology. 271 (2): 218–224.

• Alex FitzpatrickTwitter: @archaeologyfitz
• Simona FalangaTwitter: @CrazyBoneLady
• Alex’s Blog: Animal Archaeology
• Music "Coconut - (dyalla remix)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2UiKoouqaY

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