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| Provedor de dados: |
OceanDocs
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Belgium
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| Título: |
Shifting baselines and the extinction of the Caribbean monk seal
Desplazamiento de las bases de referencia y la extinción de la foca monje del Caribe
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| Autores: |
Baisre, J. A.
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| Data: |
2013-12-02
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| Ano: |
2013
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| Palavras-chave: |
Marine mammals
Species extinction
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| Resumo: |
The recent extinction of the Caribbean monk seal Monachus tropicalis has been considered an example of a human-caused extinction in the marine environment, and this species was considered a driver of the changes that have occurred in the structure of Caribbean coral reef ecosystems since colonial times. I searched archaeological records, historical data, and geographic names (used as a proxy of the presence of seals) and evaluated the use and quality of these data to conclude that since prehistoric times the Caribbean monk seal was always rare and vulnerable to human predation. This finding supports the hypothesis that in AD 1500, the Caribbean monk seal persisted as a small fragmented population in which individuals were confined to small keys, banks, or isolated islands in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. This hypothesis is contrary to the assumption that the species was widespread and abundant historically. The theory that the main driver of monk seal extinction was harvesting for its oil for use in the sugar cane industry of Jamaica during the 18th century is based primarily on anecdotal information and is overemphasized in the literature. An analysis of reported human encounters with this species indicates monk seal harvest was an occasional activity, rather than an ongoing enterprise. Nevertheless, given the rarity of this species and its restricted distribution, even small levels of hunting or specimen collecting must have contributed to its extinction, which was confirmed in the mid-20th century. Some sources had been overlooked or only partially reviewed, others misinterpreted, and a considerable amount of anecdotal information had been uncritically used. Critical examination of archaeological and historical records is required to infer accurate estimations of the historical abundance of a species. In reconstructing the past to address the shifting baseline syndrome, it is important to avoid selecting evidence to confirm modern prejudices.
La reciente extinción de la foca monje caribeña Monachus tropicalis se ha considerado un ejemplo de extinción causada por humanos en el ambiente marino. Esta especie fue considerada un conductor de cambios en la estructura de los ecosistemas de arrecife de coral caribeños desde tiempos coloniales. Busqué registros arqueológicos, datos históricos y nombres geográficos (usados como representación de la presencia de focas) y evalué el uso y calidad de estos datos para concluir que desde tiempos prehistóricos la foca monje del Caribe siempre fue rara y vulnerable a la depredación humana. Este hallazgo apoya la hipótesis de que en 1500 DC, la foca monje del Caribe persistía como una pequeña población fragmentada en la que los individuos estaban confinados a cayos pequeños, bancos o islas aisladas en el Golfo de México y el Mar Caribe. Esta hipótesis es contraria a la suposición de que la especie históricamente tenía una distribución amplia y era abundante. La teoría de que el principal conductor de la extinción de la foca monje era su captura para obtener aceite que se usaba en la industria de la caña de azúcar en Jamaica durante el s. XVIII se basa principalmente en información anecdótica y se sobreenfatiza en la literatura. Un análisis de reportes de encuentros humanos con esta especie indica que la caza de focas monje era una actividad ocasional en lugar de un operativo continuo. Sin embargo, dada la rareza de la especie y su distribución restringida, hasta los niveles mínimos de caza o recolección de especímenes debieron haber contribuido a su extinción, que fue confirmada a mediados del s. XX. Algunas fuentes han sido pasadas por alto o solamente han sido revisadas parcialmente, otras han sido malinterpretadas, y una cantidad considerable de información anecdótica ha sido usada sin cuestionar. La exanimación crítica de registros arqueológicos e históricos se requiere para inferir las estimaciones precisas de la abundancia histórica de las especies. En la reconstrucción del pasado para enfocarse al síndrome de puntos de referencia cambiantes es importante evitar escoger evidencia que confirme prejuicios modernos.
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| Tipo: |
Journal Contribution
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| Idioma: |
Inglês
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| Identificador: |
Conservation Biology, 27 (5), p. 927-935
0888-8892
http://hdl.handle.net/1834/5233
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| Relação: |
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10.1111/cobi.12107
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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
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