New direct radiocarbon dates constrain the timing of Nesophontes spp. : Extinction and the arrival of Rattus rattus on Hispaniola (Greater Antilles)

The disappearance of Nesophontidae represents one of the few family-wide mammalian extinctions documented in recent history. Previous radiometric studies from Hispaniola suggested that this extinction occurred during European colonization, coinciding with significant landscape transformation and the introduction of invasive species, including the black rat ( Rattus rattus ). However, direct evidence for the temporal overlap between nesophontids and invasive rats has remained elusive. Here, we present three new direct AMS radiocarbon dates from a cave assemblage in southwestern Hispaniola (Greater Antilles), including the Last Appearance Date (LAD) of Nesophontes hypomicrus , an endemic small-bodied insectivorous mammal, and two post-Columbian dates for the invasive black rat ( Rattus rattus ). Our results narrow the temporal gap between the last occurrence of Nesophontes and the introduction of invasive rats, and are consistent with a brief regional temporal overlap during the early colonial period. When considered alongside existing radiometric evidence for black rat introduction, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the invasive species introduced following European colonization may have contributed to the final decline of Hispaniolan nesophontid populations.