Archaeological evidence for the introduction of Emys orbicularis (Testudines: Emydidae) in the Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean

Abstract

Among the different anthropogenic processes that affected the current distribution of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), the timing of the human-mediated translocations is rarely known. Here we present data derived from an archaeological specimen of E. orbicularis obtained at the Roman site of Pollentia (Mallorca, Balearic Islands) using direct radiocarbon dating. These remains correspond to the early Roman period and represent the first reliable evidence for the ancient introduction of this turtle species in a Western Mediterranean Island.