This article was downloaded by: [Smithsonian Institution Libraries] On: 25 June 2013, At: 12:25 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujvp20 Late Pleistocene-Holocene non-passerine avifauna of Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia) Hanneke J. M. Meijer a b f , Thomas Sutikna c d , E. Wahyu Saptomo c , Rokhus Due Awe c , Jatmiko c , Sri Wasisto c , Helen F. James a , Michael J. Morwood d & Matthew W. Tocheri e a Division of Birds, Department of Vertebrate Zoology , National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution , Washington , D.C. , 20013-7012 , U.S.A. b Naturalis Biodiversity Center , Darwinweg 2, 2333 , CR Leiden , The Netherlands c The National Research and Development Centre for Archaeology , Jl. Raya Condet Pejaten No. 4, Jakarta , 12510 , Indonesia d GeoQuEST Research Centre, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences , University of Wollongong , Wollongong , New South Wales , 2522 , Australia e Human Origins Program, Department of Anthropology , National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution , Washington , D.C. , 20013 , U.S.A. f Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont , 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona , Spain Published online: 25 Jun 2013. To cite this article: Hanneke J. M. Meijer , Thomas Sutikna , E. Wahyu Saptomo , Rokhus Due Awe , Jatmiko , Sri Wasisto , Helen F. James , Michael J. Morwood & Matthew W. Tocheri (2013): Late Pleistocene-Holocene non-passerine avifauna of Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia), Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 33:4, 877-894 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2013.746941 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33(4):877–894, July 2013 © 2013 by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology ARTICLE LATE PLEISTOCENE–HOLOCENE NON-PASSERINE AVIFAUNA OF LIANG BUA (FLORES, INDONESIA) ∗ HANNEKE J. M. MEIJER, ,1,2,† THOMAS SUTIKNA,3,4 E. WAHYU SAPTOMO,3 ROKHUS DUE AWE,3 JATMIKO,3 SRI WASISTO,3 HELENF.JAMES,1 MICHAEL J. MORWOOD,4 and MATTHEW W. TOCHERI5 1Division of Birds, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012, U.S.A., [email protected]; [email protected]; 2Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands; 3The National Research and Development Centre for Archaeology, Jl. Raya Condet Pejaten No. 4, Jakarta 12510, Indonesia, [email protected]; wahyu [email protected]; ako [email protected]; [email protected]; 4GeoQuEST Research Centre, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia, [email protected]; 5Human Origins Program, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20013, U.S.A., [email protected] ABSTRACT—Liang Bua, a limestone cave on the Indonesian island of Flores, has a depositional sequence that spans the last 95,000 years and includes well-preserved faunal remains. Birds are well represented throughout the stratigraphic sequence at Liang Bua. Here, we present the results of the first comprehensive study of avian remains retrieved from Sector XI, a 2 m by 2 m archaeological excavation along the east wall of the cave. A total of 579 specimens were identified as avian, with 244 belonging to at least 26 non-passerine taxa in 13 families. The late Pleistocene assemblage (23 taxa) includes the first recorded occurrence of vultures in Wallacea, as well as kingfishers, snipes, plovers, parrots, pigeons, and swiftlets. Together, these taxa suggest that during this time the surrounding environment was floristically diverse and included several habitat types. Two of these taxa, the giant marabou Leptoptilos robustus and the vulture Trigonoceps sp., are extinct. Eight taxa were identified in the Holocene assemblage, and five of these were also present in the late Pleistocene. Imperial pigeons Ducula sp. and the Island Collared Dove Streptopelia cf. bitorquata appear only in the Holocene assemblage. The differences in faunal composition between the late Pleistocene and Holocene assemblages may reflect a change in avifaunal composition due to climatic and environmental changes near the Pleistocene–Holocene transition, possibly amplified by impacts associated with the arrival of modern humans; however, the small Holocene sample prevents a firm conclusion about faunal turnover from being made. INTRODUCTION ons (Varanus komodoensis), giant marabou storks (Leptoptilos robustus), and a diverse set of murid and chiropteran taxa (Brown Wedged between the large continental landmasses of Indo- et al., 2004; Morwood et al., 2004, 2005; van den Hoek Ostende Malaysia and Australasia, Wallacea constitutes a transitional et al., 2006; van den Bergh et al., 2008, 2009; Hocknull et al., 2009; faunal zone containing species of both Indo-Malayan and Morwood and Jungers, 2009; Meijer and Due, 2010; Meijer et al., Australasian origins (Wallace, 1869; Mayr, 1944; Coates and 2010). Of these likely endemics, only the rats, bats, and Komodo Bishop, 1997). In addition, the isolation of the Wallacean islands dragons continue into the Holocene layers that also document Downloaded by [Smithsonian Institution Libraries] at 12:25 25 June 2013 resulted in the evolution of many endemic species. For birds many new arrivals, including modern humans, pigs, civet cats, alone, Wallacea hosts 249 endemic species (Coates and Bishop, macaques, and porcupines (Hocknull et al., 2009; van den Bergh 1997). Despite harboring exceptional levels of species richness et al., 2009). and unique biotic assemblages (Myers et al., 2000), Wallacean Liang Bua’s faunal record provides an opportunity to recon- biogeography remains poorly known because of the lack of well- struct past biodiversity and the processes that gave rise to cur- supported phylogenies of Wallacean taxa and their continental rent distribution patterns in a biodiversity hotspot. To date, the relatives, uncertainties about the geological history of the region, remains of H. floresiensis, S. florensis insularis,andV. komod- and the patchy fossil record. oensis have received considerable attention and overshadowed Excavations at Liang Bua on the Indonesian island of Flores other important components of the Liang Bua faunal assemblage (Fig. 1) have revealed a stratigraphic sequence that spans the (Brown et al., 2004; Morwood et al., 2004, 2005; Larson et al., last 95,000 years and contains large numbers of well-preserved 2007; Tocheri et al., 2007; van den Bergh et al., 2008, 2009; Hock- faunal remains (Morwood et al., 2004; Roberts et al., 2009; van null et al., 2009; Jungers et al., 2009; Morwood and Jungers, 2009). den Bergh et al., 2009; Westaway et al., 2009a). The late Pleis- Birds can be fairly specific in their habitat requirements (Ras- tocene layers bear evidence of an insular fauna with many likely mussen et al., 1987), and thus can provide important insights endemics, including pygmy elephants (Stegodon florensis insu- into the paleoenvironment that these birds shared with Homo laris), small-bodied hominins (Homo floresiensis), Komodo drag- floresiensis. Here we present the first faunal analysis of the bird remains × *Corresponding author. from Liang Bua using the assemblage from Sector XI, a 2 †Current address: Institut Catala` de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, 2 m area that was excavated in 10-cm spits to 9 m depth in 08193 Cerdanyola del Valles,` Barcelona, Spain. 2004 and yielded additional hominin remains attributed to the 877 878 JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY, VOL. 33, NO. 4, 2013 FIGURE 1. Map of Indonesia. A,location of Flores within Insular Southeast Asia. Gray lines denote the western and eastern limits of Wallacea by respectively the Wallace Line and the Lydekker Line; B, map of Flores with the location of Liang Bua. Abbreviations: J, Java; K, Kalimantan; NG, New Guinea; S, Sumatra; Si, Sulawesi. holotype of H. floresiensis, as well as additional individuals Taxonomic Identification (Brown et al., 2004; Morwood et al., 2004, 2005; Morwood and All material is housed at the National Research and Develop- Jungers, 2009). This sector preserved both Holocene and late ment Centre for Archaeology in Jakarta, Indonesia. Specimens Pleistocene deposits, which occur above and below a distinctive were given a provisional registration number ‘LB-Av-XX,’ where layer of black tuffaceous silts (BTS), respectively (Roberts et al., ‘LB’ refers to Liang Bua, and ‘Av’ to Aves,