Scientists have cracked the case of why dwarf hippos and elephants once graced the beautiful scenery of Cyprus but vanished before the arrival of Paleolithic humans. During the Late Pleistocene, Cyprus was home to just two types of megafauna: the 500-kg dwarf elephant (Palaeoloxodon cypriotes) and the 130-kg dwarf hippo (Phanourios minor). Both species became extinct shortly after humans first appeared around 14,000 years ago.
Scientists have cracked the case of why dwarf hippos and elephants once graced the beautiful scenery of Cyprus but vanished before the arrival of Paleolithic humans.
During the Late Pleistocene, Cyprus was home to just two types of megafauna: the 500-kg dwarf elephant (Palaeoloxodon cypriotes) and the 130-kg dwarf hippo (Phanourios minor). Both species became extinct shortly after humans first appeared around 14,000 years ago.
In their quest to uncover the reasons for this extinction, a research team funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research and Innovation Foundation for the MIGRATE project found that the Paleolithic hunter-gatherers on Cyprus likely drove both the dwarf hippos and elephants to extinction within a span of less than 1000 years. The study was led by Professor Corey Bradshaw from Flinders University.
These findings challenge earlier theories which claimed that the introduction of a small human population could not have resulted in such rapid extinctions.
The researchers developed mathematical models that integrated data from various fields, including paleontology and archaeology, and concluded that the hunting habits of these early humans were likely the primary factor behind the species’ extinctions.
Professor Bradshaw, alongside Drs. Theodora Moutsiou, Christian Reepmeyer, Frédérik Saltré, and Stefani Crabtree, utilized data-driven methods to highlight how quickly human settlement led to the extinction of these species following their arrival.
The model analyzed factors such as the energy needs of humans, their dietary habits, prey choices, and hunting effectiveness, suggesting that an estimated population of 3,000 to 7,000 hunter-gatherers on the island likely caused the extinction of both dwarf species.
“Our findings provide compelling evidence that Paleolithic communities in Cyprus played a significant role in the extinction of megafauna during the Late Pleistocene and early Holocene. The key factor in determining the extinction risk for both species was the amount of edible meat they offered to the island’s first inhabitants,” remarked lead author Professor Corey Bradshaw of Flinders University.
“This research establishes a basis for better understanding the impact of small human populations on native ecosystems and how they can lead to major extinctions, even with minimal technological development.”
The model’s predictions aligned with the timeline of megafauna extinctions found in the fossil records.
Dr. Moutsiou stated, “Cyprus serves as an excellent location to validate our models since the island presents a unique environment to investigate whether human populations caused the extinction of its megafauna. Its insular nature gives us a valuable perspective through our research data.”
Previous studies by Professor Bradshaw, Dr. Moutsiou, and their colleagues indicated that groups of hundreds to thousands of people may have migrated to Cyprus in two to three significant waves within a 1000-year period.
