New uses for ancient middens: bridging ecological and evolutionary perspectives.
Katie M Becklin, Julio L Betancourt, Joseph Braasch, Olivier D��zerald, Francisca P D��az, Ang��lica L Gonz��lez, Robert Harbert, Camille A Holmgren, Angela D Hornsby, Claudio Latorre, Marjorie D Matocq, Felisa A Smith
Author Information
Katie M Becklin: Biology Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. Electronic address: kmbeckli@syr.edu.
Julio L Betancourt: US Geological Survey, Science and Decisions Center, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
Joseph Braasch: Department of Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08103, USA; Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08103, USA.
Olivier D��zerald: DECOD (Ecosystem Dynamics and Sustainability), INRAE, Institut Agro, IFREMER, Rennes, France.
Francisca P D��az: Instituto de Geograf��a, Pontificia Universidad Cat��lica de Valpara��so, Valpara��so, Chile; Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Santiago, Chile; Millennium Nucleus of Applied Historical Ecology for Arid Forests (AFOREST), Santiago, Chile.
Ang��lica L Gonz��lez: Department of Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08103, USA; Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08103, USA.
Robert Harbert: Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA.
Camille A Holmgren: Department of Geosciences, SUNY Buffalo State University, Buffalo, NY 14222, USA.
Angela D Hornsby: Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
Claudio Latorre: Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Santiago, Chile; Centro UC Desierto de Atacama, Pontificia Universidad Cat��lica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Department of Ecology, Pontificia Universidad Cat��lica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Marjorie D Matocq: Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
Felisa A Smith: Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
Rodent middens provide a fine-scale spatiotemporal record of plant and animal communities over the late Quaternary. In the Americas, middens have offered insight into biotic responses to past environmental changes and historical factors influencing the distribution and diversity of species. However, few studies have used middens to investigate genetic or ecosystem level responses. Integrating midden studies with neoecology and experimental evolution can help address these gaps and test mechanisms underlying eco-evolutionary patterns across biological and spatiotemporal scales. Fully realizing the potential of middens to answer cross-cutting ecological and evolutionary questions and inform conservation goals in the Anthropocene will require a collaborative research community to exploit existing midden archives and mount new campaigns to leverage midden records globally.
