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New uses for ancient middens: Bridging ecological and evolutionary perspectives
March 28, 2024
Rodent middens provide a fine-scale spatiotemporal record of plant and animal communities over the late Quaternary. In the Americas, middens have offered insight into biotic responses to past environmental changes and historical factors influencing the distribution and diversity of species. However, few studies have used middens to investigate genetic or ecosystem level responses. Integrating midden studies with neoecology and experimental evolution can help address these gaps and test mechanisms underlying eco-evolutionary patterns across biological and spatiotemporal scales. Fully realizing the potential of middens to answer cross-cutting ecological and evolutionary questions and inform conservation goals in the Anthropocene will require a collaborative research community to exploit existing midden archives and mount new campaigns to leverage midden records globally.
Citation Information
Publication Year
2024
Title
New uses for ancient middens: Bridging ecological and evolutionary perspectives
Katie M. Becklin, Julio L. Betancourt, Joseph Braasch, Olivier Dézerald, Francisca Díaz, Angélica L. González, Robert Harbert, Camille A. Holmgren, Angela D. Hornsby, Claudio L. Latorre, Marjorie D. Matocq, Felisa A. Smith