A new study from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa is challenging a long-held theory about the extinction of endemic birds in Hawaii, concluding that indigenous populations are not the cause of biodiversity loss.
The research, published in the journal Ecosphere, highlights that the extinctions are mainly linked to climate change, invasive species and changes in land use, rather than hunting by the first people to settle on the islands.
According to the researchers, a large part of the species analyzed had become extinct before the arrival of the Polynesians, while the rest is related to major climate changes during the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene, as well as the introduction of foreign species such as rats and diseases.
Researcher Kauika Winter points out that the old narrative has been influenced by historical biases, which have often automatically blamed indigenous populations for the extinction of species.
Meanwhile, fellow researcher Melissa Price says that restoring traditional nature management practices could help revitalize ecosystems and protect endangered species in the future.
