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SUMMARY:Unraveling faunal shifts and biogeographical patterns in Holocene 
 Northeastern Africa and the Levant - Dr. Ignacio Aguilar Lazagabaster - Ce
 ntro Nacional de Investigación sobre Evolución Humana (CENIEH)
DTSTART:20250228T163000Z
DTEND:20250228T173000Z
UID:TALK228397@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Finn Stileman
DESCRIPTION:Understanding the intricate relationship between climate chang
 e\, biodiversity shifts\, and human activity is crucial for deciphering th
 e complexities of ecological dynamics throughout history and contextualizi
 ng significant historical events. The rich zooarchaeological record of Hol
 ocene northeastern Africa and the Levant offers a unique opportunity to in
 vestigate long-term biodiversity trends amidst climatic fluctuations and s
 ocietal transformations\, such as the rise of ancient Egypt and the expans
 ion of the Roman Empire. This talk presents two complementary studies. Fir
 st\, I share findings from extensive cave surveys conducted in the Judean 
 Desert\, aimed at reconstructing long-term records of wild mammal communit
 ies. These findings underscore the ecological role of ancient human societ
 ies in driving environmental degradation\, including evidence of trophic c
 ascades caused by the hunting of the region’s top predator\, the Arabian
  leopard. Additionally\, I highlight the discovery of an extraordinary Ple
 istocene fossil assemblage of the crested rat\, a poisonous Afro-tropical 
 rodent that expanded its range beyond Africa in synchrony with early human
  migrations. Second\, I explore the interplay between climate-driven shift
 s and human activities—such as overexploitation and agricultural practic
 es—in shaping biodiversity patterns across northeastern Africa. This ana
 lysis integrates species distribution models (SDMs) with zooarchaeological
  records and ancient artistic depictions of wild mammals. Together\, these
  approaches shed light on the environmental and cultural forces that have 
 shaped biodiversity over millennia\, offering valuable lessons for address
 ing modern and future ecological challenges.\n
LOCATION:McDonald Institute Seminar Room\, Department of Archaeology
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