Evidence of human presence in Madagascar 10,500 years ago

The Institute of Zoology in London recently made a groundbreaking discovery that has shaken the scientific world: humans were present on the island of Madagascar 6,000 years earlier than previously thought, dating back 10,500 years. The evidence was found on elephant bird fossils.

New clues on Elephant Bird bones

Researchers at the Institute of Zoology, led by Dr. James Hansford, "redated" human activity in Madagascar. Marks of butchery found on elephant bird bones revealed this surprising fact. Cuts and fractures on the fossils indicate that these giant birds were hunted and dismembered.  

The possibility of natural injuries was ruled out, even though no hunting tools were discovered near the site where the fossils were found. The findings became clear by comparing the shape and placement of the cuts with:

• Contemporary butchery marks on emus (large birds from Australia physically similar to elephant birds).
• Previously identified butchery marks on other prehistoric Malagasy fossils.

The cuts are clean and without cracks, indicating the use of a sharp object manipulated by human hands. Moreover, these marks were inflicted around the time of the bird's death. Carbon-14 dating allowed scientists to estimate the fossils’ age at 10,500 years.  

Until now, studies on lemur bones suggested that humans colonized Madagascar between 2,400 and 4,000 years ago. These new findings, published in *Science Advances* in September 2018, overturn that understanding. Dr. Patricia Wright, a co-author of the study from New York University, stated in a press release that this discovery fundamentally changes our understanding of the arrival of the first humans on the island.

Is humanity off the hook for megafauna extinction?

Previous studies on human activity in Madagascar were primarily based on lemur fossils. In prehistoric times, Madagascar was home to a megafauna that included giant lemurs, hippos, giant tortoises, and giant birds such as the *Aepyornis* and the smaller Mullerornis.  

These birds had not been extensively studied, and apparently, this was a mistake. The discovery on the elephant bird also leads to another conclusion: humans may not be responsible for its extinction. The megafauna and humans might have coexisted for millennia, as these giant animals gradually disappeared over the past 1,000 years.  

However, as human settlements multiplied during the same period, it is plausible that the disappearance of the megafauna is linked to human presence. A similar pattern was observed with the moa, large flightless birds in New Zealand, which became extinct 150 years after humans colonized the Pacific region.  

If humans could coexist with megafauna for thousands of years, why can’t we coexist with the remaining fauna today?