Researchers have discovered that small mammal communities today differ significantly from the pre-colonial past of North America, which existed just a few centuries ago. In their studies, they identified remains of small mammals from the Anthropocene and the archaeological Holocene in areas with varying degrees of human impact and examined animal diversity across the relevant sites and time periods. On an optimistic note, the researchers found that even small, protected areas can sustain local small mammal communities, highlighting their important role in urban conservation projects.

The Anthropocene, characterised by rapid climate change, pollution, and landscape transformation, is an informal geological time unit defined as the most recent period in Earth's history (from the 1950s to the present day), during which human activity began to significantly affect the planet's ecosystems and climate. This impact is increasingly altering natural ecosystems and threatening biodiversity, for example, through the rapid expansion of urbanisation.

Researchers at Stanford University have discovered that modern small mammal communities in the Anthropocene are less diverse and have a different structure compared to the situation just a few centuries ago during the Holocene (approximately 500 years ago), which indicates the scale of human impact on our ecosystems. The study results have been published in the journal https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.916239/full