Exploring human-animal ecodynamics across East Polynesia through multispecies perspectives

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Evolutionary and Ecological Perspectives on Oceanic Archaeology: Papers to Honor the Contributions of Melinda Allen" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In honour of Melinda Allen’s contributions to Oceanic Archaeology this paper explores multi-faceted relationships between humans and animals across East Polynesia as understood by the archaeological record. Drawing on archaeological, osteological, and ancient DNA evidence, my research traces the co-evolving reciprocal relationships between people, commensal, and native biota that co-exist within island environments.

I discuss the ecodynamics between past peoples and commensals as well as native and endemic fauna with examples of the Polynesian dog and island avifauna. I explore patterns of extinction, resilience, and adaptation in response to anthropogenic environmental modification. This multi-species approach highlights not only the direct impact of human settlement but also the entangled long-term ecological connectivity between animals and people in shaping an island’s biocultural history. The contrasting fates of resilient domesticates versus vulnerable avifauna offer critical insights into indirect and direct human-driven environmental processes.

My research builds on the foundations laid by Allen’s ongoing contributions to this field, emphasizing the importance of understanding human-driven ecological shifts from a multi-species perspective. Examining the processes that have impacted extinct and persisting species in island environments has important implications for current biocultural heritage and conservation management.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Evolutionary and Ecological Perspectives on Oceanic Archaeology: Papers to Honor the Contributions of Melinda Allen

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51214