Reconstruction of the habitat range suitable for long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) using fossils from the Paleolithic sites

Abstract

Fossil data, which indicate the changing distribution of species, have been used to understand the responses of species to physical and social environmental changes. The current distribution of long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus, hereinafter “goral”), which is an endangered species in the Republic of Korea (ROK), is restricted to a few high mountain areas in the mid-eastern Korean Peninsula (KP). However, there is a discrepancy between their current distribution and the locations where the fossils of goral have been found. This discrepancy could explain the range shift of gorals on the KP in relation to environmental changes, climate change and human disturbances. The purposes of this research are 1) to reconstruct the past distribution of goral, 2) to explain the range shift of goral over time and 3) to understand the causes of the range shift in relation to environmental change, especially climate warming, and human disturbances. For this, we first reconstructed the past geographical range of goral with fossil data and analyzed the geomorphological characteristics of current and past habitats. Then, the current range and habitat characteristics were compared with the ones reconstructed from the fossil data. The results showed that the fossils of goral were found in 12 caves located at average elevations of 276.0 m calculated from the 1 km radius of the sites and 298.0 m from the 10 km radius of the sites. These sites were not only remote from the current goral habitats, but also had a significantly lower elevation than the elevational ranges of current habitats. Based on our analyses, the goral lived in much wider and lower areas on the KP during the Pleistocene. Climate warming since the Holocene era and increased human disturbances, mainly hunting by Paleolithic men, could explain the goral range shift toward higher elevations and steep slopes on the KP. In particular, considering the fact that the fossils were mostly found in caves, which were the homes of Paleolithic men, hunting could be more influential than climate warming in explaining the current distribution of goral on the KP. Our results could contribute to further goral research and provide the fundamental knowledge of alternative habitats for the endangered long-tailed gorals on the KP.