Abstract
The role of humans in shaping local ecosystems is an increasing focus of archaeological research, yet researchers often lack an appropriate means of measuring past anthropogenic effects on local food webs and nutrient cycling. Stable isotope analysis of commensal animals provides an effective proxy for local human environments because these species are closely associated with human activities without being under direct human management. Such species are thus central to nutrient flows across a range of socionatural environments and can provide insight into how they intersected and transformed over time. Here we measure and compare stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) skeletal remains across three Polynesian island systems [Mangareva, Ua Huka (Marquesas), and the Polynesian Outlier of Tikopia] during one of the most significant cases of human migration and commensal introduction in prehistory. The results demonstrate widespread δ15N declines across these islands that are associated with human land use, intensification, and faunal community restructuring. Local comparison of rat stable isotope data also tracks human activities and resource availability at the level of the settlement. Our results highlight the large-scale restructuring of nutrient flows in island ecosystems that resulted from human colonization and ecosystem engineering activities on Pacific islands. They also demonstrate that stable isotope analysis of often-ignored commensal taxa can provide a tool for tracking human land use and environmental effects.
Highlights
The role of humans in shaping local ecosystems is an increasing focus of archaeological research, yet researchers often lack an appropriate means of measuring past anthropogenic effects on local food webs and nutrient cycling
Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope measurements from archaeologically recovered commensal species, such as the Pacific rat, offer an opportunity to track changes in diet and environment that are related to anthropogenic modulation of nutrient flows through food webs
Bone collagen evaluation criteria, and contextual information for Tikopia, Mangareva, and Ua Huka archaeological materials are presented in SI Appendix, Tables S2 and S3, with statistical analyses of rat δ13C and δ15N from all sites reported in SI Appendix, Tables S4–S9
Summary
The role of humans in shaping local ecosystems is an increasing focus of archaeological research, yet researchers often lack an appropriate means of measuring past anthropogenic effects on local food webs and nutrient cycling. Stable isotope analysis of commensal animals provides an effective proxy for local human environments because these species are closely associated with human activities without being under direct human management. Our results highlight the large-scale restructuring of nutrient flows in island ecosystems that resulted from human colonization and ecosystem engineering activities on Pacific islands They demonstrate that stable isotope analysis of often-ignored commensal taxa can provide a tool for tracking human land use and environmental effects. Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope measurements from archaeologically recovered commensal species, such as the Pacific rat, offer an opportunity to track changes in diet and environment that are related to anthropogenic modulation of nutrient flows through food webs.
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