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Pollen, phytoliths, arthropods and high-resolution 14C sampling from Rano Kau, Easter Island: evidence for late Quaternary environments, ant (Formicidae) distributions and human activity

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Abstract

A 20-m sediment core from Rano Kau, Easter Island provides plant microfossil, arthropod fossil and high-resolution 14C sampling evidence for late Quaternary environments, ant (Formicidae) distributions and human activity. The record commences prior to or during the LGM, providing the two oldest dates for Rano Kau thus far, 20,340 ± 160 and 34,260 ± 440 BP. The vegetation at the time was mostly Arecaceae (palm)-dominated grassland-woodland, suggesting cooler/drier conditions than present. Near the start of the Holocene c. 12,500 cal BP, climate alleviation is indicated by Asteraceae shrubland increasing at the expense of grassland. There is an early to mid-Holocene sediment hiatus. The record recommences c. 3,500 cal BP, with in-washed clayey soils bearing charcoal and phytoliths of Polynesian-introduced Musa (banana) and mixed with wetland detritus, reflecting slumping as a result of forest clearance and gardening. Dates of material of other plants from the clay/detritus layers containing the Musa phytoliths are older than expected, within the range 3,680–2,750 cal BP, well before settlement of Eastern Polynesia. This could reflect horticultural material settling in an older part of the sediment column or age increase by reservoir effects. A long section of overlying unconsolidated detritus provides a progressively younger upward sequence from 2,840–2,870 to 930–810 cal BP, but dates are variable after 1,290–1,180 cal BP, where charcoal, disturbance-related pollen and older than expected ant exoskeletons demonstrate the inclusion of pre-aged material from the floating vegetation mat or upslope erosion in the sediment column. Arecaceae pollen declines sharply after 930–810 cal BP. Arthropod analysis reveals two new weevil species for Easter Island, and two ant taxa, Tetramorium bicarinatum and Pheidole sp., the latter of which is also new for the island. Three of the four age determinations on ant remains suggest that ants were present prior to c. 2,500 cal BP, and probably associated with the period following the resumption of sediment accumulation c. 3,500 cal BP. Unless the apparent ant 14C ages have been increased by reservoir effects, these results question the long-accepted assumption that all Eastern Polynesia’s ant species have been introduced.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Marsden Fund of the Royal Society of New Zealand. We thank the Corporación Nacional Forestal for site access and Zoro Babel for fieldwork assistance. We thank Guillermo Kuschel, Darren Ward and Ignacio Ribera for assistance with arthropod identification, Andy Tulloch and John Dando for loaning magnetic susceptibility equipment, and Juliet Hawkins for Fig. 6. Martin Blaauw provided useful instructions for the use of the Bacon model. We also thank staff at the Rafter Radiocarbon Lab, especially those involved in developing the capability to date samples <50 μg C.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microfossil Research Ltd, 31 Mont Le Grand Rd, Mt Eden, Auckland, 1024, New Zealand

    M. Horrocks

  2. School of Environment, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    M. Horrocks

  3. University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand

    M. Marra

  4. National Isotope Centre, GNS Science, PO Box 31312, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand

    W. T. Baisden

  5. Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand

    J. Flenley & D. Feek

  6. Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Chile

    L. González Nualart, S. Haoa-Cardinali & T. Edmunds Gorman

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10933_2013_9735_MOESM1_ESM.tif

S1 Musa phytoliths; mounted in Caedex; transmitted light; 600x; scale bar, for all: 20 μm. a,b Fossil Musa sp. leaf phytoliths from Rano Kau core, at 18.0 and 15.9 m depths, respectively. c,d Musa x paradisiaca leaf phytoliths from modern reference sample, showing typical rectangular/squarish base with side protuberances and cone (TIFF 888 kb)

10933_2013_9735_MOESM2_ESM.tif

S2 Fossil ant heads from Rano Kau core; diameters measured from outer edge of eyes. a Pheidole sp., 0.55 mm, from 11 m depth. b Tetramorium bicarinatum, 1.02 mm, from 11.0-11.05 m depth (TIFF 434 kb)

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Horrocks, M., Marra, M., Baisden, W.T. et al. Pollen, phytoliths, arthropods and high-resolution 14C sampling from Rano Kau, Easter Island: evidence for late Quaternary environments, ant (Formicidae) distributions and human activity. J Paleolimnol 50, 417–432 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-013-9735-5

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