Italian still life paintings as a resource for reconstructing past Mediterranean aquatic biodiversity

Italian still life paintings as a resource for reconstructing past Mediterranean aquatic biodiversity | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Italian still life paintings as a resource for reconstructing past Mediterranean aquatic biodiversity Louise Merquiol, Anne-Sophie Tribot, Daniel Faget, Gaël Denys, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5484674/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Our study explores the use of Italian still-life paintings from the Early Modern Period (16th-18th centuries) as historical records of past Mediterranean aquatic biodiversity. Following an environmental history approach, we analysed taxonomic composition in paintings, first examining geographic and temporal variations shaped by technical and socio-cultural influences. After consideration of these factors, we performed a detailed ecological interpretation of depicted taxa. Our findings reveal a shift from freshwater to marine resource use, driven by evolving fishing practices and technological advances. Socio-cultural elements, such as culinary traditions, religion and aesthetics also strongly shaped species representation. We discuss ecological interpretation of the representation of vulnerable and emblematic Mediterranean species in light of climate change, overexploitation and species biogeography. Our research highlights the powerful role of paintings in reconstructing past exploited ecosystems, offering a unique perspective for informing contemporary conservation efforts. Biological sciences/Ecology/Biodiversity Scientific community and society/Social sciences/History Scientific community and society/Social sciences/Culture/Arts Earth and environmental sciences/Ocean sciences/Marine biology Biological sciences/Ecology/Freshwater ecology Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformation.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 24 Apr, 2025 Reviews received at journal 24 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 19 Mar, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 18 Mar, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 18 Mar, 2025 First submitted to journal 19 Feb, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5484674","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":447500178,"identity":"583f36fd-d9d4-4c89-98e9-9c80109dad4e","order_by":0,"name":"Louise Merquiol","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Aix-Marseille University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Louise","middleName":"","lastName":"Merquiol","suffix":""},{"id":447500180,"identity":"c661015d-5b1a-48d5-a455-18c9d0571732","order_by":1,"name":"Anne-Sophie Tribot","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Aix-Marseille 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