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The chronology of the introduction of two species of Martes (Carnivora, Mustelidae) on the Western Mediterranean Islands: first direct radiocarbon evidence

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Abstract

We provide the first direct radiocarbon evidence of the introduction of two species of the genus Martes on two Western Mediterranean islands. The dated bones point to a Roman introduction of the Pine Marten (Martes martes) to Mallorca. The introduction of the Stone Marten (Martes foina) into Eivissa has been previous to eigth century AD. These results predate the currently assumed time of arrival of both species to these islands in several centuries, and establish a benchmark of reference to explore its possible ecological consequences.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank to Mathieu Boudin, Mark van Strydonck and Christopher Bronk Ramsey for the facilities that they give us with the radiocarbon analyses. We also thank to Joan Roig for allowing us to examine the Stone Marten mandible from Can Pere Arabí, Dr Jordi Fernández for the sending of the material and Dr Joan Ramon (Consell Insular d’Eivissa) for the analysis permits. We thank the team excavating Pollentia (Dr. Antoni Arribas (+), Dr. Miquel Angel Cau, Dra Margarita Orfila, Dra Esther Chávez) to allow us to study Pollentian materials. This research is included in the Research Project “Cambios holocénicos en la biodiversidad animal de las islas de la Macaronesia y de Baleares”/(CGL2012-38087) of the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. The manuscript has been benefited by the comments of two anonymous reviewers. One of the authors (AV) is supported by a JAE-Predoc scholarship.

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  1. Departament de Biodiversitat i Conservació, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA-CSIC), C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Mallorca

    Alejandro Valenzuela & Josep Antoni Alcover

  2. Research Associate, Division of Vertebrate Zoology/Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA

    Josep Antoni Alcover

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  1. Alejandro Valenzuela
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Correspondence to Alejandro Valenzuela.

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Valenzuela, A., Alcover, J.A. The chronology of the introduction of two species of Martes (Carnivora, Mustelidae) on the Western Mediterranean Islands: first direct radiocarbon evidence. Biol Invasions 17, 3093–3100 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-015-0947-7

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