A new study published in the Journal of Biogeography details a compilation of the most comprehensive record to date of large mammals that once roamed the Arabian Peninsula (AP) during the Holocene. Lead author Christopher Clarke of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology stated that the research was based on archaeological, historical, and rock art records, as well as analysis of over 30,000 toponyms.
“The study presents evidence that fifteen large mammal species became extinct or extirpated in the Arabian Peninsula since the beginning of the Holocene,” Clarke wrote. He noted that the historic ranges of species such as lions, aurochs, cheetahs, Syrian wild ass, African wild ass, wild dromedary, and lesser kudu were larger than previously recorded.
Clarke and co-author Sultan M. Alsharif of Taibah University stated that their analysis challenges earlier distribution maps. They reported finding the first published evidence of the greater kudu and Somali wild ass in the AP during the Holocene. “We also document the most complete list of large mammals of the Arabian Peninsula from the early Holocene,” they said.
The authors gathered data from thousands of rock art images, including published and unpublished petroglyphs, as well as historical reports and archaeological excavations. “Unpublished sources included the Bradshaw Foundation's Rock Art of Saudi Arabia, the Arabian Rock Art Heritage Project, and social media posts on X (formerly Twitter),” the authors stated.
According to Clarke, the study uncovered new information on the presence of aurochs in areas like the Empty Quarter and Yemen, based on archaeological finds and petroglyphs. “Guagnin et al. (2015) suggest ways of separating aurochs from domestic cattle depicted in petroglyphs,” the study noted.
The researchers reported that the Syrian or Asiatic wild ass (onager) was once widespread across the northern AP. “The last recorded sighting from Saudi Arabia dates back to the early 1900s,” Clarke wrote. Petroglyphs from Shuwaymis, Jubbah, and Wadi Damm depict the species, with hunting scenes showing wild asses surrounded by dogs.
The African giant buffalo was another species confirmed through osteological remains found in Sa’adah, Yemen. Drechsler (2007) dated these remains to around 6250 years BP. “This is the only Holocene record for this species in the Arabian Peninsula,” the authors reported.
Clarke also referred to the wild dromedary, whose bones were found at Umm an Nar, UAE, and other sites. “Wild and domesticated dromedaries coexisted until the wild form became extinct during the Iron Age,” the authors stated, citing Almathen et al. (2016).
Regarding conservation, the authors proposed that the Middle Holocene (6000–5000 years BP) be used as the conservation benchmark for rewilding projects in Arabia. They argued that this period reflects the last time the climate was similar to today’s and predates significant human-induced extinctions.
“In Israel, the Holocene is considered the start of dramatically increasing human impact on the environment,” Clarke wrote. “Despite a relatively stable climate, declines in wild species ranges are apparent during this era.”
The authors concluded that the loss of large mammals has affected ecosystem balance in Arabia and suggested that rewilding efforts should consider restoring species lost since the Holocene. “The implication here is that land restoration on a scale proposed by the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives should include the reintroduction of lost species as one of its key pillars,” the authors wrote.
The full study is available in the Journal of Biogeography under the title The Lost Large Mammals of Arabia.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.