Document of bibliographic reference 391999

BibliographicReference record

Type
Bibliographic resource
Type of document
Journal article
BibLvlCode
AS
Title
A Quaternary sequence of terrestrial molluscs from East Africa: a record of diversity, stability, and abundance since Marine Isotope Stage 5 (78,000 BP)
Abstract

A Quaternary sequence of subfossil terrestrial molluscs from tropical Kenya is described and discussed. It preserves a remarkably complete fauna of the Indian Ocean coastal forest from the surroundings of Panga ya Saidi cave, a site featuring repeated human occupation extending back at least 78, 000 years. Mollusc diversity, composition, and abundance are very similar to extant faunas of the coastal forest. They vary relatively little over the period studied (chiefly a 50,000-year sequence from MIS 5 to the start of MIS 2) apart from a short-lived decrease in the dominance of “forest-only” species around 45,800 BP. The fauna of the most recently preserved layers (MIS 1) is likewise similar. Most of the 72 snail (and slug) species found are still extant at the coast, including some narrow-range endemics, but 8 species are now more western in their known distribution. The native African status of Kaliella barrakporensis and 2 other snail species with Asian type localities are confirmed, as is the previously disputed occurrence of native Helicoidea at the coast. Two new subfossil species were identified and are described as Maizania meteor sp. n. (Maizaniidae) and Juventigulella saidii sp. n. (Streptaxidae). No major habitat or faunistic shifts are observed, confirming previous evidence for long-term ecological continuity at the site. The data are the first of their kind from coastal East Africa and provide a new independent proxy of the environmental context to the archaeological sequence, as well as a reference point for future studies of terrestrial molluscs in the region.

Bibliographic citation
Rowson, B.; Law, M.; Miller, J.M.; White, T.; Shipton, C.; Crowther, A.; Ndiema, E.; Petraglia, M.; Boivin, N. (2024). A Quaternary sequence of terrestrial molluscs from East Africa: a record of diversity, stability, and abundance since Marine Isotope Stage 5 (78,000 BP). Archiv. Molluskenkd. (2004) 153(1): 61-86. https://dx.doi.org/10.1127/arch.moll/153/061-086
Topic
Terrestrial
Is peer reviewed
true
Access rights
open access
Is accessible for free
true

Authors

author
Name
Ben Rowson
author
Name
Matthew Law
author
Name
Jennifer Miller
author
Name
Tom White
author
Name
Ceri Shipton
author
Name
Alison Crowther
author
Name
Emmanuel Ndiema
author
Name
Michael Petraglia
author
Name
Nicole Boivin

Links

referenced creativework
type
DOI
accessURL
https://dx.doi.org/10.1127/arch.moll/153/061-086

Document metadata

date created
2024-04-16
date modified
2024-04-16