Wilson, O. E. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2026

Anthropocentrism as a source of sampling bias in the fossil record.

The fossil record is the most important tool in palaeosciences, so continually reviewing and attempting to reduce biases in its collection is necessary to curate the best possible record of past life on Earth. Biases in the fossil record are introduced through both biological processes and data collection. Here we have investigated the extent to which anthropocentric data collection has contributed to sampling bias in the assembly of the current fossil record. We have found that the current fossil record (represented in this study by the NOW database) is anthropocentrically biased, both temporally and spatially. Specifically, fossil locality density is higher in time periods when hominins are found, and in known hominin-bearing locations. This demonstrates the need to stop essentializing the narrative of human evolution in paleoscience to reduce bias in sampling of fossil localities.

paleontology↗

bioRxiv2026

Diverse megamammals exploited by humans, chronology and palaeoecology at Taima-Taima, Late Pleistocene, South America

The arrival of humans to the Americas at the end of the Pleistocene has been one of the foundations of the hypothesis that hunter-gatherer groups had a direct role in the extinction of megafauna. However, empirical evidence of the exploitation of megafauna by humans and associated chronological context are still scarce, especially in South America. Using evidence of modifications on osteological remains, we provide a reassessment of the megafauna that was exploited at the classic Taima-Taima site (Venezuela), with an updated chronology and paleoenvironmental inferences. Our results show that, at least, five species of extinct megaherbivores were probably exploited at the site, expanding the previous records, restricted to the proboscidean Notiomastodon platensis and the giant armadillo Glyptotherium cf. G. cylindricum. The new data of the other exploited taxa include the terrestrial sloth Glossotherium, the macrauchenid cf. Xenorhinotherium bahiense and a toxodontid; both killing and slaughtering activities were likely practised at the site. Seven new enamel radiocarbon dates show an age of 15.3-17.8 cal kyr BP for the fossiliferous strata, although this is likely to be a minimum age given the materials propensity for modern carbon uptake. The study of phytoliths and starch grains from the dental calculus of N. platensis identified five plant taxa from the phytoliths: arboreal dicotyledons, Poaceae, Marantaceae, Asteraceae and Arecaceae. Ecometrics studies of dental diversity reveal how no other single site on the continent preserves such a diversity of grazing and browsing megaherbivores exploited by humans.

paleontology↗