Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

Past rapid spread of introduced livestock coincided with vegetation clearance on Madagascar

Abstract Debates persist around the past and present effects of introduced livestock on the native biodiversity of Madagascar. Indeed, the variable habitat and past rate of spread of livestock across the island’s distinct ecoregions are poorly known. Sets of 14C and stable isotop...

Resolving the biome debate: ecological and palaeo‐data concur that the extensive tree‐limited grassy biomes of central and north‐western Madagascar are largely anthropogenic

ABSTRACT For millennia, human activities have transformed ecosystems globally. Determining which landscapes are predominantly anthropogenic is crucial to conservation and habitat restoration. Madagascar, a critically‐threatened biodiversity hotspot, is a prominent example. Curren...

Detectability of Looting Holes in Very High‐Resolution SAR Images

ABSTRACT Looting of archaeological sites poses a critical threat to cultural heritage, causing irreversible loss of archaeological context and information. Remote sensing has been proven useful in monitoring such damage, but detecting small‐scale looting remains a significant cha...

Enhancement of Circular Dichroism in Chiral Dielectric Metasurfaces by Ion Beam Irradiation

ABSTRACT Resonant chiral dielectric metasurfaces can support circular dichroism exceeding that of natural materials, but their small dissipative losses simultaneously limit the maximization of circular dichroism, which inherently relies on absorption. Importantly, while the condi...

Insights Into the Nature of Quantum Emitters in Electron‐Irradiated Hexagonal Boron Nitride

ABSTRACT Quantum emitters in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have emerged as a promising solid‐state platform for quantum technology applications. However, a persistent challenge in the field is the unclear origin of many observed emission lines, particularly in the visible range,...