• STOP #9
Archeology can tell us much about how human activities alter the natural environment. Consider this tale of two rabbits:
When the Anasazi settled on the Mesa Verde, it looked much as it does today. Cottontails are now very common in the mesas while jackrabbits are rare. Yet the animal bone recovered from sites like Badger House included as much jackrabbit as cottontail.
Why?
Cottontail
In clearing land for farming, the Anasazi converted areas of the mesa tops into the sort of open habitat jackrabbits favor. The species moved into these areas and multiplied quickly. After the Anasazi abandoned Mesa Verde, the brush and forest grew over the former cornfields. As the brush returned, so did the cottontails—and the jackrabbits retreated to the open country of the Montezuma Valley, where they are common today.
Jackrabbit