Research Articles

Analysis of the modern distribution of South African Gerbilliscus (Rodentia: Gerbillinae) with implications for Plio-Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental reconstruction

Timothy Lee Campbell, Patrick J. Lewis, Justin K. Williams
South African Journal of Science | Vol 107, No 1/2 | a497 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajs.v107i1/2.497 | © 2011 Timothy Lee Campbell, Patrick J. Lewis, Justin K. Williams | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 28 October 2010 | Published: 28 January 2011

About the author(s)

Timothy Lee Campbell, Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, United States
Patrick J. Lewis, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, United States
Justin K. Williams, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, United States

Abstract

There are four extant species of Gerbilliscus, formally classified as Tatera, native to the southern African subregion, each exhibiting varying degrees of environmental tolerance. These species are also routinely reported from many of the palaeontological and archaeological sites in the region. We used a geographic information systems analysis to examine the distribution of modern Gerbilliscus by georeferencing museum specimens. The distribution of Gerbilliscus was then compared to the latest treatment of the vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland in order to quantify the genus’s environmental tolerances and propose a new niche model for this taxon. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions are made possible by defining the tolerance limits of modern taxa that have persisted relatively unchanged throughout the Plio-Pleistocene. Tolerance limits can then be applied to fossil-bearing localities where these taxa are known to have occurred in the past. Results from our analysis indicated that Gerbilliscus exhibits a wide range of environmental tolerances that must be considered when reconstructing palaeoenvironments.

Keywords

Gerbilliscus; GIS; niche model; taxonomic habitat index; paleoenvironmental reconstruction

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