Melada Maneechote

Abstract Among tropical regions, continental Southeast Asia is a major hotspot of biodiversity. However, due to rapid urban expansion and severe deforestation, this area is recognized as one of the top global conservation priorities. As in other tropical regions, the prevailing idea is that the decline of local biodiversity in this region is a direct result of the overwhelming environmental changes that have occurred over the last 80 years.

New Results doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.04.27.538552 Abstract While non-marine turtles are almost ubiquitous in the archaeological record of Southeast Asia, their zooarchaeological examination has been inadequately pursued within this tropical region. This gap in research hinders a complete comprehension of past human subsistence strategies and economies, as only a limited number of comprehensive studies encompassing all the taxa found in archaeological sites have been conducted thus far.

New Results doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.04.27.538552 Abstract Although non-marine turtles are nearly ubiquitous in the Southeast Asian archaeological record, their zooarchaeological study has been very poorly undertaken in that tropical region of the world. This lack of study makes the understanding of past human subsistence strategies very complex especially regarding the prehistoric hunter gatherer populations which may have massively exploited inland chelonian taxa.