Ken Tankersley, University of Cincinnati – Migratory Patterns

Fossils are helping us uncover our ancestors’ migratory patterns.

Ken Tankersley, associate professor of anthropology and geology at the University of Cincinnati, discusses his work discovering ancient specimens.

UC’s Ken Tankersley is a leading Quaternary scientist focusing on archaeological problems associated with human migration, adaptation and natural resource use during periods of climatic, environmental and catastrophic change. Temporally, Ken’s research focuses on the Quaternary, the geological period of time during which humans evolved. He is a NSF funded researcher who directs two laboratories, the Court Archeological Research Facility and the Ohio Valley Archaeological Laboratory.

Migratory Patterns

For thousands of years, natural climate change has influenced species migration and in many cases, their resulting survival.

Through extraordinarily well-preserved ancient bone and teeth fragments and plant remains at Big Bone Lick State Historic Park in Northern Kentucky, we have identified periods of ancient dramatic climate change, what animals roamed the Earth during those times and how they survived.

From stable isotope analysis of well-preserved ancient specimens up to more than 25,000 years old we have discovered how plants, animals and humans survived in that area and why some species died off or went extinct. Our data suggest that ancient cataclysmic cosmic events resulted in a sudden and dramatic drop in temperature, contributing to a change in climate.

The survival of plant and animal species depended on whether they were able to adapt to changes in the number of frost-free days, precipitation and temperature. Some species were able to move to more fruitful environments. Others were able to adapt by downsizing. Those species that could not move or downsize became extinct, leaving us with the resulting species we have today.

But in addition to natural climatic changes, our data also show that humans began to substantially deforest their environment about 5,000 years ago. Our team efforts show that both natural and human anthropogenic erosional processes were taking place 5,000 years ago.

Today, human landscape modification and movement of sediment exceeds that produced by volcanoes, earthquakes or tsunamis and floods. Humans are the most powerful force on the planet right now. It is a new geological and anthropological period we call the Anthropocene.

Read More:
Surviving Climate Change: UC Researchers Discover How Ancient Species Survived or Died Off in Their Old Kentucky Home
Rare Haul of Prehistoric Bones Supports UC Research on Climate Change, Mass Extinction
The Mammoth’s Lament: UC Research Shows How Cosmic Impact Sparked Devastating Climate Change