Cultural evolution and animal range in China

Human cultural evolution in China has played a large role in driving regional extinctions of large animals, according to a study. Human activities are a key driver of biodiversity dynamics, but their historical impact and links to societal development are unclear. To better understand the effect of human cultural evolution on biodiversity, Shuqing N. Teng, Chi Xu, Licheng Teng, and Jens-Christian Svenning used archival records to reconstruct distribution dynamics in 5 megafauna taxa: Asiatic elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, brown bear, and Asiatic black bear. The authors examined the distribution dynamics across eastern China over the last 2,000 years in relation to potential drivers, such as human population growth and migration, agricultural intensification, and climate change. The analysis revealed that all 5 taxa were widely distributed 2,000 years ago, but have experienced strong declines. Asiatic elephant and rhinoceros experienced the earliest and most severe contractions, whereas the other taxa remained generally widespread until the mid-20th century, following which they declined sharply. According to the authors, the declines are linked to the expansion and intensification of agriculture, along with other cultural changes.

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Article # 19-09896: “Long-term effects of cultural filtering on megafauna species distributions across China,” by Shuqing N. Teng, Chi Xu, Licheng Teng, and Jens-Christian Svenning.

MEDIA CONTACT: Shuqing N. Teng, Nanjing University, Nanjing, CHINA; e-mail:

[email protected]

; Jens-Christian Svenning, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; e-mail:

[email protected]