Evolution of Island Mammals

Alexandra van der Geer is a researcher at Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands. She publishes on various subjects, including insularity, primatology and the relation between humans and animals. Among her previous books are Animals in Stone and Hoe dieren op eilanden evolueren. George Lyras is a member of the faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment of the University of Athens, Greece. His research focuses primarily on the evolution of carnivores, brain evolution and biogeography of insular mammals. John de Vos is honorary research associate and former curator of the Dubois Collection and the Collection of Pleistocene mammal fossils from the Netherlands and the North Sea at Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Netherlands. His expertise and field of research include the taxonomic, systematic, geographic and stratigraphic research of the Pleistocene mammals of Southeast Asia in relation to fossil humans and fossil island faunas.

Preface ix

Part I Beyond the Mainland 1

1 Introduction 3

2 History of Island Studies 9

3 Island Faunas: Types and Origins 18

Types of Islands 19

Dispersals to Islands 21

The Candidate Species 29

Composition of Island Faunas 34

Part II The Islands and Their Faunas 41

4 Cyprus 43

Geology and Palaeogeography 44

Historical Palaeontology 44

Biozones and Faunal Units 47

Pleistocene 48

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 50

5 Crete 56

Geology and Palaeogeography 57

Historical Palaeontology 57

Biozones and Faunal Units 61

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 66

6 Gargano 82

Geology and Palaeogeography 83

Historical Palaeontology 85

Biozones and Faunal Units 88

Evolution and Peculiarities of Endemic Mammals 93

7 Sicily 110

Geology and Geography 111

Historical Palaeontology 111

Biozones and Faunal Units 114

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 120

8 Malta 128

Geology and Palaeogeography 129

Historical Palaeontology 129

Biozones and Faunal Units 133

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 137

9 Sardinia and Corsica 142

Geology and Palaeogeography 143

Historical Palaeontology 144

Biozones and Faunal Units 151

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 160

10 The Balearic Islands 178

Geology and Palaeogeography 179

Historical Palaeontology 180

Biozones and Faunal Units 182

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Lineages 187

11 Madagascar 200

Geology and Palaeogeography 201

Historical Palaeontology 205

Biozones and Faunal Units 210

12 Java 236

Geology and Palaeogeography 237

Historical Palaeontology 238

Biozones and Faunal Units 245

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 258

13 Flores 269

Geology and Palaeogeography 270

Historical Palaeontology 271

Biozones and Faunal Units 275

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 282

14 Sulawesi 297

Geology and Palaeogeography 298

Historical Palaeontology 300

Biozones and Faunal Units 302

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 306

15 The Philippines 312

Geology and Palaeogeography 313

Historical Palaeontology 315

Biozones and Faunal Units 318

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 323

16 Japan: Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu 331

Geology and Palaeogeography 332

Historical Palaeontology 334

Biozones and Faunal Units 337

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 345

17 Japan: The Southern and Central Ryukyu Islands 354

Geology and Palaeogeography 355

Historical Palaeontology 358

Biozones and Faunal Units 360

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 367

18 The Californian Channel Islands 377

Geology and Palaeogeography 378

Historical Palaeontology 379

Biozones and Faunal Units 380

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 381

19 The Greater Antilles 388

Geology and Palaeogeography 389

Historical Palaeontology 392

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 399

20 The Lesser Antilles 425

Geology and Palaeogeography 426

Historical Palaeontology 427

Peculiarities and Evolution of Endemic Mammals 429

Part III Species and Processes 435

21 An Overview of Endemic Species 437

Proboscidea: Mammoths, Elephants, and Stegodons 438

Primates 439

Sloths 440

Lagomorpha: Rabbits, Hares, and Pikas 441

Rodentia: Rats, Dormice, Hamsters, and Caviomorphs 443

Insect-eaters: Shrews, Moonrats, Solenodons, Tenrecs, and Allies 445

Ruminantia: Deer and Bovids 448

Hippopotamidae: Hippos 449

Suidae: Pigs 449

Carnivora: Dogs, Hyenas, Otters, and Martens 449

Carnivora: Felids 451

22 Speciation Processes in Island Environments 455

What Influences Speciation? 456

Types of Speciation on Islands 465

23 The Island Rule: Dwarfism and Gigantism 477

The Island Rule: A Graded Trend 478

The Island Rule in Detail 488

24 Parallel Patterns and Trends 503

Evolutionary Changes in the Teeth 506

Evolutionary Skeletal Changes 512

Evolutionary Brain Changes 515

Evolutionary Changes in Life History 519

25 Extinction of Island Mammals 527

The Island Prison 529

The Burden of Body Mass 529

Extinction Debt 530

Natural Disasters 531

Tectonics and Sea Level 531

Impact of Exotic Competitors 533

Impact of Exotic Predators 534

Genetic Disorders and Infections 536

Habitat Loss 537

Hunting to Extinction 539

Index 547