Millennial processes of population decline, range contraction and near extinction of the European bison

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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Millennial processes of population decline, range contraction and near extinction of the European bison. / Pilowsky, July A.; Brown, Stuart C.; Llamas, Bastien; van Loenen, Ayla L.; Kowalczyk, Rafał; Hofman-Kamińska, Emilia; Manaseryan, Ninna H.; Rusu, Viorelia; Križ Nar, Matija; Rahbek, Carsten; Fordham, Damien A.

In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 290, No. 2013, 20231095, 2023.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Pilowsky, JA, Brown, SC, Llamas, B, van Loenen, AL, Kowalczyk, R, Hofman-Kamińska, E, Manaseryan, NH, Rusu, V, Križ Nar, M, Rahbek, C & Fordham, DA 2023, 'Millennial processes of population decline, range contraction and near extinction of the European bison', Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 290, no. 2013, 20231095. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.1095

APA

Pilowsky, J. A., Brown, S. C., Llamas, B., van Loenen, A. L., Kowalczyk, R., Hofman-Kamińska, E., Manaseryan, N. H., Rusu, V., Križ Nar, M., Rahbek, C., & Fordham, D. A. (2023). Millennial processes of population decline, range contraction and near extinction of the European bison. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 290(2013), [20231095]. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.1095

Vancouver

Pilowsky JA, Brown SC, Llamas B, van Loenen AL, Kowalczyk R, Hofman-Kamińska E et al. Millennial processes of population decline, range contraction and near extinction of the European bison. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2023;290(2013). 20231095. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.1095

Author

Pilowsky, July A. ; Brown, Stuart C. ; Llamas, Bastien ; van Loenen, Ayla L. ; Kowalczyk, Rafał ; Hofman-Kamińska, Emilia ; Manaseryan, Ninna H. ; Rusu, Viorelia ; Križ Nar, Matija ; Rahbek, Carsten ; Fordham, Damien A. / Millennial processes of population decline, range contraction and near extinction of the European bison. In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2023 ; Vol. 290, No. 2013.

Bibtex

@article{6e8e40f2937d4f888cd785812c29b13a,
title = "Millennial processes of population decline, range contraction and near extinction of the European bison",
abstract = "European bison (Bison bonasus) were widespread throughout Europe during the late Pleistocene. However, the contributions of environmental change and humans to their near extinction have never been resolved. Using process-explicit models, fossils and ancient DNA, we disentangle the combinations of threatening processes that drove population declines and regional extinctions of European bison through space and across time. We show that the population size of European bison declined abruptly at the termination of the Pleistocene in response to rapid environmental change, hunting by humans and their interaction. Human activities prevented populations of European bison from rebounding in the Holocene, despite improved environmental conditions. Hunting caused range loss in the north and east of its distribution, while land use change was responsible for losses in the west and south. Advances in hunting technologies from 1500 CE were needed to simulate low abundances observed in 1870 CE. While our findings show that humans were an important driver of the extinction of the European bison in the wild, vast areas of its range vanished during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition because of post-glacial environmental change. These areas of its former range have been climatically unsuitable for millennia and should not be considered in reintroduction efforts. ",
keywords = "conservation biogeography, extinction dynamics, megafauna, process-based model, range dynamics, rewilding",
author = "Pilowsky, {July A.} and Brown, {Stuart C.} and Bastien Llamas and {van Loenen}, {Ayla L.} and Rafa{\l} Kowalczyk and Emilia Hofman-Kami{\'n}ska and Manaseryan, {Ninna H.} and Viorelia Rusu and {Kri{\v z} Nar}, Matija and Carsten Rahbek and Fordham, {Damien A.}",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Author(s).",
year = "2023",
doi = "10.1098/rspb.2023.1095",
language = "English",
volume = "290",
journal = "Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences",
issn = "0962-8452",
publisher = "The Royal Society Publishing",
number = "2013",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Millennial processes of population decline, range contraction and near extinction of the European bison

AU - Pilowsky, July A.

AU - Brown, Stuart C.

AU - Llamas, Bastien

AU - van Loenen, Ayla L.

AU - Kowalczyk, Rafał

AU - Hofman-Kamińska, Emilia

AU - Manaseryan, Ninna H.

AU - Rusu, Viorelia

AU - Križ Nar, Matija

AU - Rahbek, Carsten

AU - Fordham, Damien A.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s).

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - European bison (Bison bonasus) were widespread throughout Europe during the late Pleistocene. However, the contributions of environmental change and humans to their near extinction have never been resolved. Using process-explicit models, fossils and ancient DNA, we disentangle the combinations of threatening processes that drove population declines and regional extinctions of European bison through space and across time. We show that the population size of European bison declined abruptly at the termination of the Pleistocene in response to rapid environmental change, hunting by humans and their interaction. Human activities prevented populations of European bison from rebounding in the Holocene, despite improved environmental conditions. Hunting caused range loss in the north and east of its distribution, while land use change was responsible for losses in the west and south. Advances in hunting technologies from 1500 CE were needed to simulate low abundances observed in 1870 CE. While our findings show that humans were an important driver of the extinction of the European bison in the wild, vast areas of its range vanished during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition because of post-glacial environmental change. These areas of its former range have been climatically unsuitable for millennia and should not be considered in reintroduction efforts.

AB - European bison (Bison bonasus) were widespread throughout Europe during the late Pleistocene. However, the contributions of environmental change and humans to their near extinction have never been resolved. Using process-explicit models, fossils and ancient DNA, we disentangle the combinations of threatening processes that drove population declines and regional extinctions of European bison through space and across time. We show that the population size of European bison declined abruptly at the termination of the Pleistocene in response to rapid environmental change, hunting by humans and their interaction. Human activities prevented populations of European bison from rebounding in the Holocene, despite improved environmental conditions. Hunting caused range loss in the north and east of its distribution, while land use change was responsible for losses in the west and south. Advances in hunting technologies from 1500 CE were needed to simulate low abundances observed in 1870 CE. While our findings show that humans were an important driver of the extinction of the European bison in the wild, vast areas of its range vanished during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition because of post-glacial environmental change. These areas of its former range have been climatically unsuitable for millennia and should not be considered in reintroduction efforts.

KW - conservation biogeography

KW - extinction dynamics

KW - megafauna

KW - process-based model

KW - range dynamics

KW - rewilding

U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2023.1095

DO - 10.1098/rspb.2023.1095

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38087919

AN - SCOPUS:85179638422

VL - 290

JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

SN - 0962-8452

IS - 2013

M1 - 20231095

ER -

ID: 378753095