The introduction of animals as an adaptation to colonization of islands: an example from the West Indies

We upply islamd biogeographic principles to the analysis of archaeological faunas from Caribbean Ceramic age sites, and use the results to better understand human adaptations to these island settings. Faunal samples reflect decreased diversity with distance from the mainland and a positive correlation between diversity and island size. Though the colonists were subject to the limitations described ln island biogeographic principles, they were also able to exert some control by disproportionately enriching the diversity of species on small islands by introducing animals.