A review of the dodo and its ecosystem: insights from a vertebrate concentration Lagerstätte in Mauritius

The dodo Raphus cucullatus Linnaeus, an extinct and flightless, giant pigeon endemic to Mauritius, has fascinated people since its discovery, yet has remained surprisingly poorly known. Until the mid-19th century, almost all that was known about the dodo was based on illustrations and written accounts by 17th century mariners, often of questionable accuracy. Furthermore, only a few fragmentary remains of dodos collected prior to the bird's extinction exist. Our understanding of the dodo's anatomy was substantially enhanced by the discovery in 1865 of subfossil bones in a marsh called the Mare aux Songes, situated in southeastern Mauritius. However, no contextual information was recorded during early excavation efforts, and the majority of excavated material comprised larger dodo bones, almost all of which were unassociated. Here we present a modern interdisciplinary analysis of the Mare aux Songes, a 4200-year-old multitaxic vertebrate concentration Lagerstätte. Our analysis of the deposits at this site provides the first detailed overview of the ecosystem inhabited by the dodo. The interplay of climatic and geological conditions led to the exceptional preservation of the animal and associated plant remains at the Mare aux Songes and provides a window into the past ecosystem of Mauritius. This interdisciplinary research approach provides an ecological framework for the dodo, complementing insights on its anatomy derived from the only associated dodo skeletons known, both of which were collected by Etienne Thirioux and are the primary subject of this memoir.publishedVersio

Phelsuma inexpectata (Manapany Day Gecko). Diet

This video demonstrates behavior. Most videos in this collection have no audible language and for those that do, the language isn't necessary to understand the behavior. For that reason, transcripts are not provided.Integrative Biolog

Revision of <i>Angraecum</i> sect. <i>Perrierangraecum</i> (Orchidaceae; Epidendroideae; Vandeae) for the Mascarenes, with a description of a new endemic species for Mauritius

While revising the genus Angraecum (Orchidaceae) for the Mascarenes, a new taxon endemic to Mauritius was identified and it is here described as Angraecum baiderae. More than 300 Angraecum specimens, including types, collected in the Mascarenes and Madagascar, and available at DBEV, G, K, KM, L, MARS, MAU, MO, P, REU, SEY, TEF, and TAN were studied to confirm the taxonomic status of this new taxon. Its conservation status was assessed as Endangered. Furthermore, this paper presents detailed descriptions, conservation status, and a key to all species of Angraecum sect. Perrierangraecum occurring in the Mascarenes

Differing severity of frugivore loss contrasts the fate of native forests on the land of the Dodo (Mascarene archipelago)

International audienceFrugivore loss has the potential to alter the regeneration of tropical hyperdiverse forests. However, no study has investigated tree diversity maintenance within old-growth protected forests on tropical oceanic islands where conservation stakes are considerable. In the Mascarenes, the largest frugivores including the Dodo went extinct after human colonization in the 17th century. Mauritius, today devoid of almost all its native habitats, retains an important population of flying foxes, while Réunion, largely covered by native habitats, has lost all but one of its native frugivores, a bulbul. Using census data of 130 woody species from 3-ha permanent plots from Mauritius (MAU-BF) and Réunion (REU-ML), we show that most fleshy-fruited species regenerate well at MAU-BF, in contrast to REU-ML, although large-seeded fleshy-fruited species regenerate poorly at both sites. The difference in recruitment is all the more striking because local woody plant diversity at MAU-BF is double that at REU-ML. Changes observed in the understory will probably lead to a strongly impoverished canopy at REU-ML, and to canopy shift composition at MAU-BF. Hence, the protected but highly fragmented forests on Mauritius are likely more resilient than those on Réunion usually considered best preserved within the ecoregion. Although processes other than seed dispersal might also be at work, flying foxes probably ensure effective dispersal of numerous native fleshy-fruited plants on Mauritius, contrary to only bulbuls on Réunion. To efficiently protect tropical rainforests on islands and continents alike, there is an urgent need to protect extant frugivores populations and reinstate seed dispersal function wherever necessary

Threats to environmentally sensitive areas from peri-urban expansion in Mauritius

There are 60 inhabited tropical island countries covering c. 3.54 million km2 of land. Tropical islands are disproportionately rich in endemic plants, birds, molluscs, and other invertebrates (Whittaker and Fernandez-Palacios 2007) relative to similar mainland habitats (see, for example, Kier et al. 2009). The majority of global coral and seagrass diversity is located in the reefs, shoals, and lagoons of tropical islands (Spalding et al. 2001, 1997), the islands accounting for 2.4% of the global land area, but housing a much greater swathe of the Earth's biological uniqueness (Kreft et al. 2008). At the same time, the topography of most tropical islands is relatively steep, compressing their high terrestrial and coastal marine biological value into relatively small areas. This compression also reduces the average size of watersheds and shortens river main stems, in particular relative to the hydrological space of continental systems (Milliman et al. 1999). Consequently, island nations rely heavily on groundwater extraction and river impoundments to provide clean water to urban areas, particularly during periods of low rainfall

Fox\u27s 2-spheres are twist spun knots

A multi-proxy reconstruction of a sediment core from the Tatos basin in the Mauritian lowlands reveals a dynamic environmental history during the last 8000 years. Under influence of sea level rise, the basin progressed from a wetland to a shallow lake between 8000 and 2500 cal yr BP and it slowly changed back into a wetland after sea level reached its highest position at around 2500 cal yr BP. The groundwater level in the basin was strongly affected by sea level rise and precipitation-forced runoff through the porous volcanic bedrock.<br>Millennial-scale precipitation changes in the Mauritian lowlands were derived from the pollen records of semi-dry forest and palm woodland. Salinity and environmental reconstructions based on diatoms, ostracods, stable isotopes and sediment composition showed numerous decadal and centennial droughts and wet events. Mauritius experienced wet conditions between similar to 8000 and similar to 6800 cal yr BP, followed by decreasing humidity from 6800 to 6000 cal yr BP. Dry conditions persisted until similar to 1200 cal yr BP, after which wetter conditions have prevailed as recorded from Mauritian lowland and upland records. Climate dynamics reflects northern hemisphere monsoon activity and suggest that Mauritian rainfall and the Indian and Asian summer monsoons are linked, as both receive moisture from the southern equatorial Indian Ocean.<br>The anti-phased relationship of climate dynamics between the Mauritian lowlands and western tropical Australia during the middle Holocene is interpreted as a prolonged configuration of a negative mode of the Indian Ocean Dipole OM. A negative IOD-like state is supported by decreased Asian summer monsoon rainfall, higher Austral-Indonesian summer monsoon rainfall and lower temperatures in the Kilimanjaro record. Conversely, repeated decadal-scale wet events in the Mauritian lowlands occurring every similar to 350 years reflect short positive IOD-like events.<br>The onset of ENSO climate variability followed an anomalously strong negative 100-like event and shifted teleconnections from the tropical Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. A shift in ENSO activity around similar to 2600 cal yr BP signifies the decoupling of ENSO from the Atlantic ITCZ. Subsequently, the influence of ENSO on climate in the western Indian Ocean is indicated by increased storm frequency and drought events after 2660 cal yr BP in Mauritius and reduced monsoon activity in the western and eastern Indian Ocean

Palaeoproteomics of fossil bird bones for taxonomic classification

We used proteomic profiling to taxonomically classify extinct, alongside extant bird species using mass spectrometry on ancient bone-derived collagen chains COL1A1 and COL1A2. Proteins of Holocene and Late Pleistocene-aged bones from dodo (Raphus cucullatus) and great auk (Pinguinus impennis), as well as bones from chicken (Gallus gallus), rock dove (Columba livia), zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), of various ages ranging from the present to 1455 years old were analysed. HCl and guandine-HCL-based protein extractions from fresh bone materials yielded up to 60% coverage of collagens COL1A1 and COL1A2, and extractions from ancient materials yielded up to 46% coverage of collagens COL1A1 and COL1A2. Data were retrieved from multiple peptide sequences obtained from different specimens and multiple extractions. Upon alignment, and in line with the latest evolutionary insights, protein data obtained from great auk grouped with data from a recently sequenced razorbill (Alca torda) genome. Similarly, protein data obtained from bones of dodo and modern rock dove grouped in a single clade. Lastly, protein data obtained from chicken bones, both from ancient and fresh materials, grouped as a separate, basal clade. Our proteomic analyses enabled taxonomic classification of all ancient bones, thereby complementing phylogenetics based on DNA

Rapid succession of plant associations on the small ocean island of Mauritius at the onset of the Holocene

International audienc