Changing Exploitation of Terrestrial Vertebrates During the Past 3000 Years on Tobago, West Indies

摘要: On the southern Caribbean island of Tobago, we excavated two archaeological deposits, preceramic (ca. 2900 years old) Milford 1 site (TOB-3) and ceramic 1200 to 900 Golden Grove (TOB-13). The non-fish bone assemblages from these sites are very different, with an emphasis at TOB-3 on sea turtles (which seldom nest today Tobago) collared peccary Tayassu tajacu, a large (17–30 kg) mammal extremely rare now Tobago. also yielded bones somewhat smaller mammals that extinct red howler monkey Alouatta seniculus paca Agouti paca. species comprise only four reptiles seven mammals, whereas they more diverse (29 species) TOB-13 mostly represent small- medium-sized vertebrates (<10 kg, often <1 kg), such as toad, lizards, snakes, birds, opossum, armadillo, eight rodents, well turtle peccary, although latter is uncommon. We interpret differences possibly being due local or island-wide scarcity big game (peccaries) in times, which would have promoted diversification hunting practices. Related this may been sedentary way life for Tobago's peoples, increased agriculture leading near less time devoted longer distance big-game hunting. While prehistoric anthropogenic extinction population reduction documented islands north, our data Tobago show depletions probably occurred continental, land-bridge faunas. Models post-Pleistocene faunal “relaxation” toward lower value richness should not ignore human-caused losses, be impossible distinguish non-anthropogenic losses.