{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7225795342","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814","title":"Prey size and putatively fat-rich prey decline in the southern African Middle and Later Stone Age in the context of the Late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions","display_name":"Prey size and putatively fat-rich prey decline in the southern African Middle and Later Stone Age in the context of the Late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-11-11","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7225795342","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814","pdf_url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/mammal-science/articles/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814/pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4387284922","display_name":"Frontiers in Mammal Science","issn_l":"2813-4699","issn":["2813-4699"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["cwts-core","doaj"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320527","host_organization_name":"Frontiers Media","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320527"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Frontiers Media"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Frontiers in Mammal Science","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","is_traditional":true,"indexed_in":["crossref","doaj"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/mammal-science/articles/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814/pdf","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5051865363","display_name":"Miki Ben\u2010Dor","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9512-1160","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9512-1160"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I16391192","display_name":"Tel Aviv University","ror":"https://ror.org/04mhzgx49","country_code":"IL","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I16391192"]}],"countries":["IL"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Miki Ben-Dor","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I16391192"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5044310601","display_name":"Ran Barkai","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8125-8788","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8125-8788"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I16391192","display_name":"Tel Aviv University","ror":"https://ror.org/04mhzgx49","country_code":"IL","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I16391192"]}],"countries":["IL"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ran Barkai","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I16391192"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5051865363"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I16391192"],"apc_list":{"value":1950,"currency":"CHF","value_usd":2353},"apc_paid":{"value":1950,"currency":"CHF","value_usd":2353},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.0,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"5","issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10421","display_name":"Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology","score":0.9878000020980835,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3314","display_name":"Anthropology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10421","display_name":"Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology","score":0.9878000020980835,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3314","display_name":"Anthropology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13256","display_name":"Archaeology and Rock Art Studies","score":0.006200000178068876,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3302","display_name":"Archeology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10087","display_name":"Archaeology and ancient environmental studies","score":0.0038999998942017555,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3302","display_name":"Archeology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188382862","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q170430","display_name":"Predation","level":2,"score":0.853600025177002},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779343474","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3109175","display_name":"Context (archaeology)","level":2,"score":0.6754000186920166},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776258062","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1931902","display_name":"Middle Stone Age","level":3,"score":0.6478000283241272},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C18903297","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7150","display_name":"Ecology","level":1,"score":0.5925999879837036},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C101991246","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5422078","display_name":"Extinction (optical mineralogy)","level":2,"score":0.5892999768257141},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C91067096","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q730371","display_name":"Megafauna","level":3,"score":0.5530999898910522},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C109167261","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5421955","display_name":"Fell","level":2,"score":0.5195000171661377},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115540264","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2945560","display_name":"Biomass (ecology)","level":2,"score":0.5127999782562256},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C160464908","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q26185","display_name":"Quaternary","level":2,"score":0.47189998626708984},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C205649164","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1071","display_name":"Geography","level":0,"score":0.445499986410141},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C71640776","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16521","display_name":"Taxon","level":2,"score":0.4081999957561493},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C86803240","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q420","display_name":"Biology","level":0,"score":0.3952000141143799},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C85735339","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11759","display_name":"Stone Age","level":2,"score":0.39419999718666077},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C165287380","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2916569","display_name":"Foraging","level":2,"score":0.37459999322891235},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C46325548","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q59099","display_name":"Herbivore","level":2,"score":0.3479999899864197},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780083274","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q575630","display_name":"Later Stone Age","level":3,"score":0.34310001134872437},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C152491559","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1886501","display_name":"Macroecology","level":3,"score":0.3109000027179718},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C53570757","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25546","display_name":"Pleistocene","level":2,"score":0.27720001339912415},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C130217890","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47041","display_name":"Biodiversity","level":2,"score":0.2743000090122223},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C173656711","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19067","display_name":"Apex predator","level":3,"score":0.27300000190734863},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C35306142","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55814","display_name":"Extinction event","level":4,"score":0.27149999141693115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777628658","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1034198","display_name":"Cape","level":2,"score":0.2662999927997589},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777798969","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3109175","display_name":"Assemblage (archaeology)","level":2,"score":0.26600000262260437},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C110872660","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37813","display_name":"Ecosystem","level":2,"score":0.265500009059906},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C19951013","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q503142","display_name":"Before Present","level":3,"score":0.2508000135421753}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814","pdf_url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/mammal-science/articles/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814/pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4387284922","display_name":"Frontiers in Mammal Science","issn_l":"2813-4699","issn":["2813-4699"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["cwts-core","doaj"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320527","host_organization_name":"Frontiers Media","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320527"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Frontiers Media"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Frontiers in Mammal Science","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814","pdf_url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/mammal-science/articles/10.3389/fmamm.2026.1994814/pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4387284922","display_name":"Frontiers in Mammal Science","issn_l":"2813-4699","issn":["2813-4699"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["cwts-core","doaj"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320527","host_organization_name":"Frontiers Media","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320527"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Frontiers Media"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Frontiers in Mammal Science","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":true,"grobid_xml":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7225795342.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7225795342.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":81,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1507748392","https://openalex.org/W1591506375","https://openalex.org/W1946751023","https://openalex.org/W1976328938","https://openalex.org/W1979477389","https://openalex.org/W1994422689","https://openalex.org/W2000220656","https://openalex.org/W2002430716","https://openalex.org/W2003752065","https://openalex.org/W2004318787","https://openalex.org/W2009028979","https://openalex.org/W2011513828","https://openalex.org/W2015237218","https://openalex.org/W2024501228","https://openalex.org/W2027073845","https://openalex.org/W2046709763","https://openalex.org/W2048976335","https://openalex.org/W2060036497","https://openalex.org/W2067268314","https://openalex.org/W2072597128","https://openalex.org/W2078858827","https://openalex.org/W2080149431","https://openalex.org/W2081266273","https://openalex.org/W2089841034","https://openalex.org/W2090376115","https://openalex.org/W2093807031","https://openalex.org/W2097057301","https://openalex.org/W2101638698","https://openalex.org/W2104918160","https://openalex.org/W2107525565","https://openalex.org/W2111413076","https://openalex.org/W2119694153","https://openalex.org/W2143990694","https://openalex.org/W2144450641","https://openalex.org/W2153031618","https://openalex.org/W2155900554","https://openalex.org/W2156528690","https://openalex.org/W2163302552","https://openalex.org/W2164880324","https://openalex.org/W2167752546","https://openalex.org/W2190480838","https://openalex.org/W2290776825","https://openalex.org/W2487074506","https://openalex.org/W2505434694","https://openalex.org/W2592619054","https://openalex.org/W2795592306","https://openalex.org/W2795961914","https://openalex.org/W2797399117","https://openalex.org/W2799694924","https://openalex.org/W2900842895","https://openalex.org/W2905431628","https://openalex.org/W2912485760","https://openalex.org/W2917941349","https://openalex.org/W2972231042","https://openalex.org/W2979709441","https://openalex.org/W2997769675","https://openalex.org/W2999140392","https://openalex.org/W3013570809","https://openalex.org/W3131329056","https://openalex.org/W3134542457","https://openalex.org/W3163636923","https://openalex.org/W3179873085","https://openalex.org/W3208270995","https://openalex.org/W4200085331","https://openalex.org/W4244837786","https://openalex.org/W4246220954","https://openalex.org/W4300663028","https://openalex.org/W4311837805","https://openalex.org/W4319827607","https://openalex.org/W4386142426","https://openalex.org/W4388976392","https://openalex.org/W4393092471","https://openalex.org/W4394733343","https://openalex.org/W4396243195","https://openalex.org/W4402541631","https://openalex.org/W4403955287","https://openalex.org/W4412518067","https://openalex.org/W4414823288","https://openalex.org/W4415234489","https://openalex.org/W7155043330","https://openalex.org/W7171928814"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Introduction":[0],"Where":[1],"Late":[2],"Quaternary":[3],"extinctions":[4],"were":[5],"severe,":[6],"archaeological,":[7],"climatic,":[8],"and":[9,57,76,84,94,119,185,222,239,245,270,286,315,329],"extinction":[10],"signals":[11],"are":[12],"compressed":[13],"into":[14],"short":[15],"intervals,":[16],"which":[17],"makes":[18],"their":[19],"causes":[20],"difficult":[21],"to":[22,125,206],"infer.":[23],"Southern":[24],"Africa":[25,83],"offers":[26],"a":[27,41,44,95,129,142,146,253,298],"longer":[28],"view":[29],"because":[30,277],"most":[31],"of":[32,43,50,62,90,98,101,111,137,149,179,229,256,304,318],"its":[33],"large":[34,257,305,319],"mammals":[35],"survived.":[36],"We":[37,67,86,132,152],"tested":[38],"whether,":[39],"over":[40],"quarter":[42],"million":[45],"years,":[46],"the":[47,59,88,109,134,161,183,193,243,246,260,265,278,287,302,312],"size":[48],"composition":[49],"hunted":[51],"prey":[52,64,112,123,166,180,215,258,306,320],"shifted":[53],"toward":[54],"smaller":[55],"species":[56],"whether":[58,155],"estimated":[60,108,133],"contribution":[61],"fat-rich":[63,139,231],"changed.":[65],"Methods":[66],"reconstructed":[68],"large-mammal":[69],"records":[70],"from":[71,81,203],"28":[72],"southern":[73],"African":[74],"sites":[75],"analyzed":[77],"71":[78],"human-accumulated":[79],"assemblages":[80],"South":[82],"Lesotho.":[85],"used":[87],"number":[89],"identified":[91],"specimens":[92],"(NISP)":[93],"parallel":[96],"dataset":[97],"minimum":[99],"numbers":[100],"individuals":[102],"(MNI).":[103],"For":[104,208],"each":[105,116],"assemblage,":[106],"we":[107,120],"share":[110,136,201,228],"biomass":[113,135,181,227],"contributed":[114],"by":[115,218],"body-size":[117],"class,":[118],"related":[121],"mean":[122,214],"mass":[124,216],"assemblage":[126],"age":[127],"on":[128,220,224],"logarithmic":[130],"scale.":[131],"putatively":[138,230],"taxa":[140,232],"using":[141],"size-based":[143],"proxy,":[144],"not":[145,264],"direct":[147],"measure":[148],"dietary":[150],"fat.":[151],"also":[153],"assessed":[154],"coastal":[156,285],"inundation":[157,251],"could":[158],"account":[159],"for":[160],"observed":[162],"trends.":[163],"Results":[164],"Large":[165],"declined":[167,233],"substantially":[168],"through":[169],"time.":[170],"On":[171],"MNI,":[172],"animals":[173],"above":[174,236],"296":[175],"kg":[176],"supplied":[177],"84\u201389%":[178],"in":[182,192,212,301],"Middle":[184,187,244,279],"late":[186,254],"Stone":[188,195,248,280,289],"Age":[189,281,290],"but":[190,263],"53%":[191],"Later":[194,247,288],"Age.":[196,249],"The":[197,226,294],"megaherbivore":[198],"(>1,000":[199],"kg)":[200],"fell":[202,217,240],"approximately":[204],"half":[205,237],"8%.":[207],"every":[209],"tenfold":[210],"decrease":[211],"age,":[213],"41%":[219],"NISP":[221],"55%":[223],"MNI.":[225],"less,":[234],"stayed":[235],"throughout,":[238],"mainly":[241],"between":[242],"Coastal":[250],"explains":[252],"pulse":[255],"at":[259],"Cape":[261],"coast,":[262],"broader":[266],"decline":[267,300],"across":[268],"regions":[269],"earlier":[271],"periods.":[272],"Discussion":[273],"Interpretation":[274],"is":[275,283,297],"limited":[276],"sample":[282,291],"mostly":[284,292],"inland.":[293],"robust":[295],"result":[296],"long-term":[299],"proportion":[303],"among":[307],"kills.":[308],"Fat-directed":[309],"hunting":[310],"under":[311],"protein":[313],"ceiling":[314],"human":[316],"depletion":[317],"remain":[321],"compatible":[322],"hypotheses.":[323],"Availability-referenced":[324],"null":[325],"models,":[326],"mortality":[327],"profiles,":[328],"genomic":[330],"population":[331],"histories":[332],"can":[333],"test":[334],"them.":[335]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-11-12T12:28:57.059296","created_date":"2026-11-12T00:00:00"}
