The Caribbean island of Hispaniola used to host 11 different rodent species, but now only one remains in the island’s two countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The reasons for the extinction of the other species are unclear, as the timing of each disappearance is unknown, making it hard to
Humans have inhabited Hispaniola for roughly six thousand years, during which time the island’s rodent diversity dwindled from 11 species to just 1. By determining exactly when these species last appear in the fossil record, authors of a new study pinpoint the historical events that led to their extinction. Credit: Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace, but now only one remains in the island’s two countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
“They mineralize and lose all organic material really quickly, so there are limitations to what you can date,” Lopez said. However, researchers have been unable to make an accurate estimate as to when they went extinct without knowing a “last appearance date,” or the age of the youngest specimen to have been discovered.
Lopez suspects that gradual habitat destruction, rising human population numbers, and the introduction of invasive species eventually led to the demise of hutias along with several other mammal and bird species.
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