Early Cypriot settlers drove dwarf elephants and hippos to extinction

20/9/2024 6:09

        A recent study suggests that the first humans to settle on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus were responsible for driving two unique megafauna species to extinction: the dwarf elephant (Palaeoloxodon cypriotes) and the dwarf hippo (Phanourios minor).
        These species inhabited Cyprus before the arrival of humans but vanished shortly after human colonization during the Late Pleistocene, approximately 14,000 years ago. Their remains have been discovered along the island's southeast coast.
        According to a press release from the State University of Cyprus, the research, led by Professor Corey Bradshaw of Flinders University in Australia, challenges earlier theories that the small populations of early humans could not have caused the extinction. Contrary to previous beliefs, it now appears that the first hunter-gatherers on Cyprus may have played a key role in the disappearance of these species.
        The study suggests that a population of 3,000 to 7,000 Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers could have driven the extinction of these animals within 1,000 years of their arrival on the island.
        Researchers employed mathematical models combining paleontological and archaeological data to determine whether human hunting practices were the main cause of the extinction. These models factored in human energy needs, diet, prey selection, and hunting efficiency.
        The findings indicate that early humans exerted significant hunting pressure on the ecosystem, contributing to the extinction of the island's megafauna, said the release.