Dr. Óscar R. Solís
What does the Anthropocene mean to you?
The Anthropocene provides a powerful interdisciplinary framework for understanding an epoch in which humans have emerged as the dominant driver of planetary change, affecting the Earth systems on various timescales. Tropical forests are at the heart of debates on the Anthropocene, as they are among the most vulnerable habitats on the planet and are at the frontline of climate change and sustainability challenges.
My research employs a multidisciplinary approach to trace the temporal depth of anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, integrating palaeoecological, zooarchaeological, archaeological, and historical records. This analytical framework provides a comprehensive long-term perspective on the dynamic relationships between climatic variability, human subsistence practices, land-use modification, and settlement patterns, as well as their overall impacts on local ecosystems and biodiversity. To explore the interplay across these thresholds, I have developed two complementary research initiatives spanning from the late Pleistocene to the recent Holocene:
- “Uncovering Human-Megafauna Interactions in the Drowned Caves of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico”
This project examines the interplay between the effects of human arrival in the Americas and climatic shifts on Late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions. The exceptional preservation of vertebrate remains, including those of Homo sapiens, in the submerged cave systems of the Yucatán Peninsula provides unique insights into this significant ecological upheaval and loss of biodiversity, while also exploring human–megafauna interactions.
- “Loltún Cave Archaeological Project, Oxkutzcab, Yucatán, Mexico”
This investigation focuses on one of the region's most significant paleoarchaeological sites. Combining stratigraphic reanalysis from recent archaeo-palaeontological excavations with cutting-edge techniques, including ZooMS, stable isotope analysis, radiocarbon dating, wax biomarkers and column chromatography, the project is setting new milestones in the reconstruction of long-term human-environment dynamics. The site's continuous human occupation from the Late Pleistocene through much of the Holocene provides unparalleled opportunities to study human adaptation strategies, such as interactions with megafauna, ancient Maya resource management practices over millennia, and the ecological consequences of a sustained human presence.
Together, these projects advance our understanding of how anthropogenic pressures have reshaped tropical forests over time, providing crucial context for contemporary conservation challenges in the Anthropocene.