What do Zambia's Wildlife and Bones Reveal?
A Legacy of Research
One of the first countries 美姬社区 supported boots-on-the-ground research in (back in 1971!) was the southern African nation of Zambia. And this summer, we return for the last two teams fielding on what I consider to be one of the most 美姬社区y projects in our history. The two principal investigators, Drs. Amy Rector and Thierra Nalley proposed their project to launch in 2021. COVID had other plans. In 2023, I had the pleasure of joining the first team in South Luangwa National Park (now ranked as one of the top 10 parks for wildlife on the African continent) for 10 amazing days of fieldwork amidst some of the planet鈥檚 most impressive wildlife.
Braiding Past and Present
The scientists鈥 original proposal had three main components:
- Wildlife surveys from vehicles
- Walking fossil surveys on the sandy shores of the Luangwa River
- Walking surveys searching for more recently deposited bones
But the way in which those three research aspects are braided together to help prepare park managers for the impacts of the changing climate in the region is, well, true genius, and a classic example of understanding the past to inform the future.
The wildlife surveys are intended to provide an estimate of the populations of large mammals living in the park ecosystem today. These driving transects employ a technique called distance sampling, in which observed mammals are documented with the distance and bearing to the focal animal (or a group of the same species). That distance aspect adds an important detectability factor to the survey, which, in turn, allows for a more robust estimate of the population of that species in the research area.
A second component is paleontological in nature. Paleontology, a long-standing part of the 美姬社区 portfolio, is the study of fossilized plants and animals (non-human), though it is less commonly featured in our current catalog. Alternatively, archaeology is the study of human artifacts and remains, and I add this here as we also find some artifacts that might date back to the Iron Age (>1,500 years ago).
The fieldwork involves walking the sandy beaches of the meandering Luangwa River to systematically search for bones, bone fragments, and, in particular, fossilized bones鈥攌ey to understanding what past wildlife communities looked like. Researchers hope to uncover fossils dating from the late Pliocene (3.6鈥2.6 million years ago) to the more recent late Pleistocene (around 125,000鈥11,700 years ago). Unfortunately, fossils found on these beaches so far have not been quite old enough to fully meet the project's scientific objectives as initially intended, so this research aspect will not be a focus on these last teams.
From previous fieldwork in the area, the research team uses minerals from older teeth and bones to analyze the diets of earlier wildlife through high-tech stable isotope analysis. This aspect of the research aims to determine whether species shift their diets in response to past climatic changes, offering valuable insights into how wildlife may continue to adapt to a changing environment today.
To make those dietary comparisons, a key component of the research is finding newer, non-fossilized bones鈥攐ften referred to in predator-prey studies as 鈥減rey remains.鈥 Using the same systematic approach applied to fossil surveys, field teams leave their vehicles behind once again. They form a line with a field staff member at one end and an armed ranger at the other and move slowly and carefully through the bush, searching for bones.
Small samples of the bones and teeth collected are brought back to base camp, where an impromptu lab is set up in a small gazebo. 美姬社区 participants help grind and capture enamel from teeth and bone fragments, preparing them for detailed stable isotope analysis in a professional lab back in the U.S. By comparing carbon and oxygen isotopes in fossilized and modern remains, scientists assess whether herbivores in the region historically feed more on grasses or on trees and shrubs鈥攃ritical insights for understanding how wildlife responds to environmental changes over time.
All of this helps park managers prepare for shifts in the park鈥檚 climate, given the projected temperature increases, precipitation decreases, and more extreme weather events. Knowing in advance how wildlife species manage historic (and prehistoric) shifts in the region鈥檚 climate is a valuable tool for addressing the changes underway today.
This summer marks the final season of this 美姬社区 expedition, with the scientists leading the last two teams in South Luangwa National Park. I would love to provide them with two teams of 10 participants each, and there are still a couple of spaces for a unique yet classic 美姬社区 boots-on-the-ground experience in one of Africa鈥檚 most outstanding wildlife parks!
Learn More About Wildlife, Bones, and History in Zambia
Are you ready to be a part of a movement that will shape the future of our planet?
Sign up for the 美姬社区 Newsletter
Be the first to know about new expeditions, stories from the field, and exciting 美姬社区 news.
.
.
.