Late Pleistocene Great Bustards Otis tarda from the Maghreb, eastern Morocco

The Moroccan population of the globally endangered Great Bustard Otis tarda is close to extinction. Although it is genetically distinct from the Iberian population, no evidence has been previously available to establish the age of its presence in Morocco. A radiocarbon‐dated assemblage of Great Bust...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inIbis (London, England) Vol. 167; no. 4; pp. 991 - 1001
Main Authors Cooper, Joanne H., Collar, Nigel J., Bouzouggar, Abdeljalil, Barton, Nick, Humphrey, Louise
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2025
Subjects
Breeding
Otididae
Otis tarda
Pleistocene
Population decline
Radiocarbon dating
Species extinction
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ISSN0019-1019
1474-919X
DOI10.1111/ibi.13404

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Summary:The Moroccan population of the globally endangered Great Bustard Otis tarda is close to extinction. Although it is genetically distinct from the Iberian population, no evidence has been previously available to establish the age of its presence in Morocco. A radiocarbon‐dated assemblage of Great Bustards from the cemetery cave at Taforalt now confirms the species as a breeding resident of the Maghreb during the Late Pleistocene, ca. 14 700 years before the present. Furthermore, the remains reveal these birds to have been the subject of human exploitation and ritual behaviours. Recognition of the species' ancient status in Morocco reinforces the importance of this isolated and declining population and may help to add impetus to existing conservation efforts.
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ISSN:0019-1019
1474-919X
DOI:10.1111/ibi.13404