Human-mediated oceanic atoll faunal translocations: A 1000-year record from Atafu Atoll, Tokelau

This paper discusses the evidence for faunal translocations on Atafu Atoll in the central Pacific archipelago of Tokelau. Atolls are among the most depauperate of terrestrial environments in both flora and fauna. They offered initial human colonists almost no terrestrial food resources. Even with the addition of translocated species, terrestrial resource management was traditionally a vital element of the survival of human populations on atolls. Tokelau was settled only ~1000 years ago, possibly as part of the burst of exploration that led to the initial colonization of East Polynesia. We discuss our inferences for both intentional and unintentional translocations and prehistoric choices about which species to introduce. We speculate on the ecological and socio-cultural effects of translocated species and their role in maintaining the delicate balance of human viability in an atoll environment. We also review the mtDNA evidence from translocated mammals and what it suggests about both the human colonization of Polynesia and later interactions patterns.