Rodent Faunal Turnover and Prehistoric Community Stability in Northwestern New Mexico
- 1 November 1977
- journal article
- research article
- Published by University of Chicago Press in The American Naturalist
- Vol. 111 (982) , 1195-1208
- https://doi.org/10.1086/283245
Abstract
Analyses of 15 prehistoric rodent-containing faunas from northwestern New Mexico [USA] (A.D. 1065-1260) revealed a significant amount of species turnover in 200 yr. Faunal replacements correlate with climatic changes which were occurring in the study area. As aridity increased, several mesic-adapted species (Microtus mexicanus, Peromyscus leucopus and P. boylii) were replaced by xeric-adapted species (Perognathus apache and Peromyscus crinitus). Certain aspects of community organization, such as total number of species present and trophic structure remained constant during the study period. Apparently the changing prehistoric environmental regimes were not of sufficient magnitude to cause major re-organization of the rodent community.This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: