Island Of Formentera Research Articles

Bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr variability and Bronze and Iron Ages caprine mobility on the Balearic Islands (Spain)

This paper presents the most extensive 87Sr/86Sr datasets from Late Prehistory contexts in addition to bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr values for baseline characterization on the Balearic Islands. A total of 149 caprine dental enamel samples from Mallorca, Menorca, and Formentera islands (Spain), and 35 environmental baseline samples covering the main geologies of these islands are presented here. In addition, a combination of strontium and oxygen sequential analysis was performed on seven individuals from two sites that showed some of the most diverse 87Sr/86Sr values to better understand their mobility patterns. The main goal of this research is to provide more information about isotopic variability of bioavailable strontium on the Balearic Islands and livestock management during the Bronze and Iron Ages, thus allowing us to understand how human communities exploited their landscape and interacted with other populations.

The stone connection: Functional and microbotanical analysis of prehistoric macrolithic tools on the island of Formentera (Balearic Archipelago)

Formentera was one of the last Mediterranean islands to be colonized by humans at the end of the third millennium BC. This island is rather small (83 km2) with marked biogeographical constraints. Typical of a semi-arid environment, the island is poor in resources and biodiversity. Macrolithic tools from the prehistoric sites of Ca na Costa (ca. 2130–1790 cal BC), Cap de Barbaria II (ca. 1740–900 cal BC), and Sa Cala (ca. 800–570 cal BC) showed similar technological, typological, and functional patterns documented in other prehistoric tool assemblages from the Balearic Islands. This common technology is reflected in the way the raw materials were procured, as well as the manufacture, the maintenance strategies, and the use of macrolithic tools (e.g., grinding stone tools, abraders, and percussion tools). Integrated phytolith and starch analyses from grinding toolkits show evidence of people’s exploitating millet-tribe species (Paniceae) during the Bronze Age, cereals that are well-adapted to nutrient-poor soils, including exotic taxa such as possible foxtail millet (Setaria cf. italica). The production and use of this stone technology suggests how the first human communities on the island achieved and shared social knowledge about the insular landscape and its environmental constraints. This integrative archaeological research in Formentera has shown development of a set of innovative, diversified, and intensive resource exploitation strategies, underlining the high adaptability and resilience of prehistoric societies as well as the sharing of technology within the Balearic archipelago and its independent evolution from mainland technologies.

Demographic monitoring of the invasive ladder snake on Formentera (Balearic Islands, Spain)

AbstractThe ladder snake Zamenis scalaris was first reported in 2006 in Formentera (Balearic Islands, Spain), until then a snake‐free Mediterranean island. Since 2016, intense control campaigns have been carried out and, for the first time, snake captures over 2017–2020 have been used to analyze the sex ratio, age, fat percentage, population density, and seasonality of this invasive population. The male‐biased sex ratio found in the present work could be the result of capture biases caused by different detection probabilities between sexes. A reduction of snake body length over time was observed, which could indicate a depletion of the larger snakes due to intense snake capture. The highest capture frequencies of both sexes were reported in May and June, coinciding with the mate searching period in the species native range and indicating that snakes increase their movements during this period. Size‐specific survivorship curves indicated a drop in survivorship at medium sizes, which suggested a survival cost associated with reproduction, presumably due to increased mortality during the mating season. Population density decreased from 1.812 snakes/ha in 2017 to 0.669 snakes/ha in 2020. Evidence obtained in the present work has allowed to evaluate the main ecological aspects of Z. scalaris and the current state of the population of this invasive snake on the island of Formentera. Results showed that the population is well established in Formentera, but prolonged control campaigns have caused its decline. This study becomes a starting point to improve the management and control programs of invasive snake populations in the Balearic Islands. Long‐term control as well as the improvement of the detection and capture of adult females are strongly recommended to attempt the eradication of Z. scalaris in Formentera.

Potters at the World’s End? Pottery Production and Resilience in Formentera (Balearic Islands, Spain) during the Bronze Age

Human communities that inhabit small islands often express some kind of fragility and ‘islandness’ that requires the development of certain strategies to minimize the risks involved in occupying hazardous environments. In this paper, we interpret the technological choices developed by Bronze Age potters’ communities from the small island of Formentera (Balearic Islands, Spain) by studying certain features of pottery pastes and some typological aspects of the vessels. Our aim is to explore the way certain technological choices played a key role in the construction of group social memory, the strengthening of community cohesion and the establishment of bonds with other groups from the same island and from other nearby and larger islands of the archipelago. The technological practices observed in pottery production allowed a greater capacity for resilience in the human communities from Formentera, which in turn permitted the stable and long-term occupation of the territory.

Abrupt environmental changes during the last glacial cycle in Western Mediterranean (Formentera Island, Balearic archipelago, Spain)

A sedimentary sequence covering the entire last glacial cycle (period between Terminations I and II) outcrops along the south-eastern coast of Formentera Island. A detailed geomorphological, geological and sedimentological study, supported by geochemical, soil and soil-morphology analyses, magnetic susceptibility, phytolite content and luminescence dating (TL, OSL) allowed to reconstruct the environmental evolution of this coastal setting, and to frame it within the evolutionary pattern of the North Atlantic climate variability. Three highstands of sea level are identified in this island for MIS 5e, and a fourth one is attributed to MIS5a. MIS5 – MIS4 transition is characterized by soil development under a moist-warm climate and a descending sea level scenario. Aeolian units (72 ± 7 ka BP) developed during MIS4 under prevailing northerly winds that persisted until the beginning of MIS3, when new aeolian dunes (54 ± 5 ka BP) developed after a major sea-level lowstand. A sudden shift in prevailing winds occur within MIS3, when aeolian units (51 ± 4 ka BP) grew under the influence of S-SW winds and moister climate, evidenced by a dense root bioturbation. The greater influence of northerly winds is attributed to the weakening of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current (AMOC) in North Atlantic, and enhancement of westerlies in NW Europe during colder periods. Periods of prevailing southerly winds and moister climate correlate well with warm Greenland Interstadials, and reinforcement of AMOC. Between 50 and 40ka, alluvial/colluvial sedimentary units punctuated by soil and calcrete development, witness the climatic variability recorded along this period in the North Atlantic. A sedimentary hiatus with erosion and calcrete development characterizes the transit between MIS3 and MIS2. Finally, a reddish alluvial sedimentary unit records a short span of humid and warm climate (soil development, peak in magnetic susceptibility, phytolite content) within MIS 2 (20 ± 2 ka BP – 17 + 2.4/-2.2) that contrast with the general climatic trend recorded in Western Mediterranean during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Millennial-scale climate variability recorded in Late Pleistocene coastal deposits of Formentera Island (Balearic Archipelago, Western Mediterranean)

Pleistocene aeolian deposits interbedded with marine deposits, colluvial deposits and palaeosols are observed in area of Es Copinar, Caló d'es Mort and Es Ram-s’Estufadors in Formentera Island. The sedimentary succession outcropping along the south-eastern coast of the island is characterized by a well-exposed high-resolution succession representing the main climate and geomorphological changes that occurred in this part of the western Mediterranean during the late Pleistocene. In this study we present the sedimentology and stratigraphy of carbonate sandstone, marine deposits, breccias and the aeolian-alluvial interaction deposits and silty facies, which allow describing ten major sedimentary units. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and the biochronostratigraphic fauna from the marine deposits indicate that their deposition took place during the Last interglacial-glacial cycle, and their succession recorded Heinrich and Dansgaard-Oeschger events (DO). In this sense, dryer and cold Heinrich events led to the formation of extensive coastal dune fields when the sea level dropped. On the other hand, relatively warmer and wetter DO events drove the development of palaeosols and the aeolian-alluvial interaction deposits.

New insights into the daily and symbolic use of plants during initial occupations of Formentera (Balearic Islands, Spain)

The island of Formentera, with its small extension and flat orography, was settled relatively late in Mediterranean prehistory between the third and second millennium BC. The sites presented in this paper, Cova des Fum and Cova des Riuets, offer evidence of the island’s first occupation. Cova des Fum comprises a necropolis of the Bronze Age and two sanctuary spaces (used, at least, from 2035 cal BC), with hearths and water management structures. Cova des Riuets is a habitation site from the beginning of the Bronze Age (available dates ranging from 2030 to 1760 cal BC). This landscape study, among the first on the ancient occupation of the island, focuses on the plant macro-remains from both sites, providing new data on the vegetation of the surrounding areas and the use of both wild and domesticated plant resources for various daily and ritual tasks. The firewood came from evergreen thermo-Mediterranean formations well adapted to drought and summer heat, as well as rocky environments, and could have been collected in the vicinity of the sites. The autochthonous character of some species, such as the fig tree, has also been investigated and has provided the oldest existing date for this species on the island. This study reveals some peculiarities in the island’s subsistence strategy that are relevant to the study of small islands more generally.

Poetics of Relations: A Manifesto on Performance-Based Filmmaking

This video article expands upon the Poetics of Relations, the embodied research of VestAndPage (Verena Stenke and Andrea Pagnes), which informs their performance-based filmmaking theory and practice. Since 2010, the artist duo inquires into the pillars that constitute the cross-contamination of the two art forms of time-based live art and filmmaking. Their films have been produced geo-psychologically in a variety of locations around the world: from the remote regions of Chilean Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego to the Antarctica; from socio-cultural areas of conflict like Kashmir and North-West India to the volcanic island of Formentera; and during a month-long performance walk through Germany, Poland and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Each of the films focuses upon a particular research and artistic subject. In this video article, their film projects are taken under the pinhole to look into what could constitute a manifesto of sorts in which the embodied research process identifies the essentials constituents of their practice, and elaborates on the integration of filming, story, time, space, character, action, objects, text, sound, effects, atmosphere, production and editing.

Aeolian-alluvial interactions at Formentera (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean): The late Pleistocence evolution of a costal system

This study deals with the sedimentological and stratigraphic description of Pleistocene coastal deposits of Formentera Island that show evidence of interference between processes characteristic of alluvial and aeolian environments. Here we analyze the sedimentology and stratigraphy of a Pleistocene succession located at Northeast of Formentera and we constrain its chronology by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Main sedimentary facies representing the succession of aeolian, alluvial, marine and coastal environments are described in this study. We conclude that although there were two prevailing environments such as coastal aeolian and alluvial, with different processes and resulting forms, the interaction resulted in deposits that share characteristics of both environments, as well as maintain elements inherited from each environment in terms of sedimentary supply, precipitation, runoff or aeolian transport. These coastal deposits represent a small alluvial apron covering the base of a vertical cliff. Most of the sediment that composes these deposits is marine bioclastic sand which was transported in the form of coastal dunes during periods of low sea level. Our results are a useful indicator of the geomorphological processes and changes that occurred during the Pleistocene, unraveling the environmental evolution and contributing to the growing knowledge on the Western Mediterranean aeolian-alluvial interacting environments.

Metallic encounters in the Balearic Islands: An approach to Western Mediterranean trade dynamics in the ‘global’ Late Bronze Age

The Ibiza and Formentera islands (Pityusic Islands, Balearic Archipelago, Spain) were colonised by continental Bell Beaker communities. These islands have no mineral resources for producing copper or tin-bronze objects locally, so their metals are a good indication of Western Mediterranean trade dynamics. During the first centuries of occupation (ca. 2100-1400 cal BC), they remained almost isolated in terms of the metal trade, and only a few objects have been attributed to this period. Nevertheless, this situation changed significantly during the Late Bronze Age (1400–850/700 cal BC). Several ingots and metallic objects, acquired through external contact, have been found and ascribed to this period. Archaeometallurgical research concerning these objects has revealed technological patterns in the copper-tin alloys and shed some light on regional and long-distance metal trade dynamics.

Tsunami Boulders on the Rocky Coasts of Ibiza and Formentera (Balearic Islands)

Large boulders have been found in marine cliffs from 7 study sites on Ibiza and Formentera Islands (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean). These large boulders of up to 43 t are located on platforms that form the rocky coastline of Ibiza and Formentera, several tens of meters from the edge of the cliff, up to 11 m above sea level and several kilometers away from any inland escarpment. Despite than storm wave height and energy are higher from the northern direction, the largest boulders are located in the southern part of the islands. The boulders are located in the places where numerical models of tsunami simulation from submarine earthquakes on the North African coast predict tsunami impact on these two islands. According to radiocarbon data and rate of growth of dissolution pans, the ages of the boulders range between 1750 AD and 1870 AD. Documentary sources also confirm a huge tsunami affecting the SE coast of Majorca (the largest Balearic Island) in 1756. The distribution of the boulders sites along the islands, the direction of imbrication and the run-up necessary for their placement suggest that they were transported from northern African tsunami waves that hit the coastline of Ibiza and Formentera Islands.

The Late Roman fort of Can Blai on Formentera and its role in the defence of the Balearic Sea

Until recently, the late-antique castellum of Can Blai (also known as Can Pins) has not received the attention it deserves. Located in Sant Ferran de ses Roques in the centre of the small Mediterranean island of Formentera (Balearic Islands) (fig. 1), the fort was built at the highest (25 m asl) and narrowest point of the isthmus that joins the two major areas of higher ground, Puig Guillem on the north (107 m asl) and La Mola in the south (192 m asl). The fort lies c.600 m from the E shore and c.900 m from the W shore. In 1975, the Swedish resident R. Sternberg mentioned its existence to the second-named author, here, who was then director of the Archaeological Museum of Ibiza and Formentera. Fernández undertook archaeological investigations (1979, 1980) which documented the site and the form of the fort. The fieldwork did not result in full reports, but it was mentioned in a general publication on this island and in accounts of the heritage of the Pityusic Islands.

First record of the invasive worm Branchiomma bairdi (Annelida: Sabellidae) in the Balearic Sea (Western Mediterranean)

The invasive sabellid Branchiomma bairdi (McIntosh, 1885) was collected in the Estany des Peix lagoon (Formentera Island, Balearic Sea, Western Mediterranean). This species is native to Bermuda (Western Atlantic Ocean), being widely distributed through the Caribbean Sea. However, it has been described as invasive worldwide, being also present in the Indo-Pacific region, the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. We here provide the first record of the species for the Balearic Sea, together with a comparison to other morphologically similar alien species, Branchiomma boholense (Grube, 1878), which is supposed to have also been introduced in the Mediterranean basin. We also include comprehensive taxonomic descriptions of both taxa based on the type material, a dichotomous key for the Mediterranean species of Branchiomma and hypothesize the most likely way of introduction of B. bairdi in the Balearic region.

Updating the known distribution of Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) in Spain 2015

As in other countries, the distribution of Aedes albopictus continues expanding in Spain and all the provinces of the Spanish Mediterranean coast are already positive, as well as other unexpected inner places as Huesca city. A list and a map of the newly positive municipalities in 2015 are included. It is the firts record for the Formentera island (Balearic Islands). Some aspects about the known distribution and the possible related variables are discussed.

Characterization of a Strain of Fukuyoa paulensis (Dinophyceae) from the Western Mediterranean Sea.

A single cell of the dinoflagellate genus Fukuyoa was isolated from the island of Formentera (Balearic Islands, west Mediterranean Sea), cultured, and characterized by morphological and molecular methods and toxin analyses. This is the first report of the Gambierdiscus lineage (genera Fukuyoa and Gambierdiscus) from the western Mediterranean Sea, which is cooler than its eastern basin. Molecular analyses revealed that the Mediterranean strain belongs to F. paulensis and that it bears LSU rDNA sequences identical to New Zealand, Australian, and Brazilian strains. It also shared an identical sequence of the more variable ITS-rDNA with the Brazilian strain. Toxin analyses showed the presence of maitotoxin, 54-deoxyCTX1B, and gambieric acid A. This is the first observation of the two latter compounds in a Fukuyoa strain. Therefore, both Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa should be considered when as contributing to ciguatera fish poisoning. Different strains of Fukuyoa form a complex of morphologically cryptic lineages where F. paulensis stands as the most distantly related nominal species. The comparison of the ITS2 secondary structures revealed the absence of CBCs among strains. The study of the morphological and molecular traits depicted an unresolved taxonomic scenario impacted by the low strains sampling.

State of knowledge of the Acotylea (Polycladida, Platyhelminthes) from the Mediterranean coasts of Spain: new records and new species.

Along the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, great species diversity is thought to exist, but our knowledge of Iberian polyclads is, in fact, very limited. This study contributes to the Polycladida (Platyhelminthes) of the Iberian Peninsula, in particular those of the Mediterranean coast. Nine species, mainly new species or new records, are described. Imogine stellae sp. nov. from Mar Menor (Murcia, Spain) is described, while I. mediterranea Galleni, 1976 is recorded for the first time in Spain. The genus Planocera Blainville, 1828 within the Mediterranean basin is reviewed: Planocera graffi Lang, 1879 is redescribed, and its synonymisation with Planocera pellucida (Mertens, 1833) considered. Also, the genus Notoplanella Bock, 1931 is represented by two species in Spain, N. inarmata Bock, 1931 type species, from Formentera Island and N. estelae sp. nov., from Mar Menor. Trigonoporus cephalophtalmus Lang, 1884 is rediscovered after the description of Lang (1884). Stylochus neapolitanus (Delle Chiaje, 1841-1844) Lang, 1884 is recorded and S. pilidium (Goette, 1881) is also redescribed, and Leptoplana mediterranea (Bock, 1913) is newly recorded for the Iberian Peninsula.

Getting turfed: The population and habitat impacts of Lophocladia lallemandii invasions on endemic Posidonia oceanica meadows

We examined the extent and mechanism of impact of the invasive alga Lophocladia lallemandii in two otherwise healthy shallow seagrass meadows (Es Caló de s’Oli and Cala Torreta) in a Marine Natural Reserve on Formentera Island (Balearic Islands, Spain). The algae epiphytically invaded healthy seagrass leaves and rhizomes, and occasionally coalesced to form dense turf patches that trapped dead leaves, sediment and debris. Turf density was 0.21 turfsm−2 and 0.43 turfsm−2, and median individual turf size was 0.14m2 and 0.12m2 at Es Caló de s’Oli and Cala Torreta, respectively. These turfs occupied 3.5–10.9% of the area of sampled meadows. We examined the ramet- and population-level impacts of these turfs on P. oceanica along a gradient of turf size. Under these turfs, annual seagrass shoot mortality was, on average, 2.5 to 5 times higher than turf-free sites, with mortality rates that ranged from 8% per year to 10% per year. Seagrass shoot mortality rates rapidly increased when the biomass of L. lallemandii turf and accumulated debris exceeded 200–300gDWm−2. In addition, the size of P. oceanica shoots, aboveground biomass and rhizome growth significantly decreased with increasing turf area (Least squares regression analyses, p<0.05). Our results indicate that the turf-forming nature of L. lallemandii directly modifies vital demographic parameters of P. oceanica and may have significant consequences for the meadow. L. lallemandii could represent an important yet largely unrecognized threat to the resilience of this endemic ecosystem that is already subject to a plethora of other anthropogenic stresses.

The Upper Pleistocene-Holocene raptorial bird guild from Eivissa Island (Pityusic Archipelago, Western Mediterranean Sea)

Predators are an essential component of past and present ecosystems and trophic networks. In addition, their role as bone bio-accumulators may at least partly determine the richness of fossil sites. Prior to human arrival, terrestrial mammals were absent from the Pityusic Archipelago (Eivissa and Formentera islands, Western Mediterranean Sea), a feature that represents an ecological singularity in the Mediterranean islands. The diurnal and nocturnal predatory bird guild from the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene of the Eivissa Island is approached here through the study of Accipitridae, Falconidae and Strigidae from Es Pouàs, an extraordinarily rich fossil site that provided more than two thousand bones of birds belonging to these three families. The importance of each species as bio-accumulator and a comparison with current fauna are outlined.

Biochemical responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis as biomarkers of acute environmental pollution caused by the Don Pedro oil spill (Eivissa Island, Spain)

In the present work, the potential use of several antioxidant and detoxification biomarkers in the digestive gland of wild mussels ( Mytilus galloprovincialis) for biomonitoring the marine pollution induced by the Don Pedro oil spill has been investigated. Two locations from the East to South-East of Eivissa (Ibiza) and Formentera islands were selected, one extensively affected by the oil spill and the other one not affected and considered as the control area. Mussels were sampled one, two and six months after the Don Pedro accident. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels were significantly increased in the soft tissues of mussels in the affected area one month after the disaster, returning to normal values after six months. Markers of oxidative damage in lipids – malondialdehyde, and in proteins – carbonyl derivates, and antioxidant enzyme – catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, activities significantly increased as result of the spill oil after one month, returning to basal values at two month sampling time. Glutathione/glutathione disulfide ratio (GSH/GSSG), as a marker of the redox status, was reduced after one and two months indicating a more oxidized situation. Markers of detoxification – glutathione- S-transferase and cytochrome P4501A activities and metallothionein gene expression – were significantly increased by the oil spill one month after the accident, returning to the basal values at two month sampling time. In conclusion, the Don Pedro accident induced a transient situation of PAHs pollution resulting in enhanced antioxidant and detoxification defense systems in the wild mussel M. galloprovincialis returning to normal levels six months from the spill. The selected biomarkers are a useful tool for biomonitoring the response to acute exposure to pollutants in marine mussels.

Prevalence of cancer in the Island of Formentera

Prevalence of cancer in the Island of Formentera