Carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of natural pastures in the dry Puna of Argentina: a baseline for the study of prehistoric herd management strategies

Samec, Celeste; Yacobaccio, Hugo D.; Panarello, Héctor O.

doi:10.1007/s12520-015-0263-2

Cited by 23 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…The sharp (ca 3–5 per mil) decrease in δ 15 N values, observed for all animals in May–June (followed by an increase of the same magnitude in July–August), is somewhat more complicated to explain. In July, all the animals were grazing in high altitude pastures, and the low δ 15 N values measured are responsible for the negative correlation between δ 15 N diet values and altitude (Figure B) in line with conclusions from other studies . However, this spike is also recorded for the one horse (Dl 1) with no or very limited vertical mobility (<200 m) and is rapidly (ca 1 month later) followed by a sharp increase in δ 15 N diet values that is not observed in δ 13 C values.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Grazing high and low: Can we detect horse altitudinal mobility using high‐resolution isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values) time series in tail hair? A case study in the Mongolian Altai

Lazzerini

Coulon

Simon

et al. 2019

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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Rationale Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope time series performed in continuously growing tissues (hair, tooth enamel) are commonly used to reconstruct the dietary history of modern and ancient animals. Predicting the effects of altitudinal mobility on animal δ13C and δ15N values remains difficult as several variables such as temperature, water availability or soil type can contribute to the isotope composition. Modern references adapted to the region of interest are therefore essential. Methods Between June 2015 and July 2018, six free‐ranging domestic horses living in the Mongolian Altaï were fitted with GPS collars. Tail hairs were sampled each year, prepared for sequential C and N isotope analysis using EA‐IRMS. Isotopic variations were compared with altitudinal mobility, and Generalized Additive Mixed (GAMMs) models were used to model the effect of geographic and environmental factors on δ13C and δ15N values. Results Less than half of the pasture changes were linked with a significant isotopic shift while numerous isotopic shifts did not correspond to any altitudinal mobility. Similar patterns of δ13C and δ15N variations were observed between the different horses, despite differences in mobility patterns. We propose that water availability as well as seasonal availability of N2 fixing type plants primarily controlled horse hair δ13C and δ15N values, overprinting the influence of altitude. Conclusions Our study shows that altitudinal mobility is not the main factor that drives the variations in horse tail hair δ13C and δ15N values and that seasonal change in the animal dietary preference also plays an important role. It is therefore risky to interpret variations in δ13C and δ15N values of animal tissues in terms of altitudinal mobility alone, at least in C3–dominated environments.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Grazing high and low: Can we detect horse altitudinal mobility using high‐resolution isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values) time series in tail hair? A case study in the Mongolian Altai

Lazzerini

Coulon

Simon

et al. 2019

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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“…This region does receive more precipitation than the coast, but the region is still arid, with the northern Chilean dry puna receiving 300−350 mm of annual precipitation [112]. Despite the aridity of the puna, studies conducted in the hyperarid salt puna around 23.5˚S [113] and in the Argentine dry puna [114] found plant δ 15 N values to be comparable to those observed in the highlands of northern Peru (c. +2 to +6 ‰) [111]. Given that herbivores tissue δ 15 N values are 3 to 4 ‰ higher than the plants that they consume [115], we would expect camelids that lived in the puna to have tissue δ 15 N values between +5 and +9 ‰.…”

Section: Isotopic Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Camelid husbandry in the Atacama Desert? A stable isotope study of camelid bone collagen and textiles from the Lluta and Camarones Valleys, northern Chile

Szpak

Valenzuela

2020

PLoS ONE

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Management of camelids in the coastal valleys of the Andes has generated much debate in recent years. Zooarchaeological and isotopic studies have demonstrated that in the coastal valleys of northern and southern Peru there were locally maintained camelid herds. Because of the hyperarid conditions of the northern coast of Chile, this region has been assumed to be unsuitable for the raising of camelids. In this study we report stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of camelid bone collagen and textiles made from camelid fiber from Late Intermediate Period (LIP) and Late Horizon (LH) occupations in northern Chilean river valleys. The camelid bone collagen isotopic compositions are consistent with these animals originating in the highlands, although there is a significant difference in the camelids dating to the LIP and LH, possibly because of changes made to distribution and exchange networks by the Inca in the LH. There were no differences between the isotopic compositions of the camelid fibers sampled from textiles in the LIP and LH, suggesting that either the production of camelid fiber was unchanged by the Inca or the changes that were made do not present visible isotopic evidence. Several camelid fiber samples from both the LIP and LH present very high δ 13 C and δ 15 N values, comparable to human hair samples from one site (Huancarane) in the Camarones Valley. These data suggest that people in the northern valleys of Chile may have kept small numbers of animals specifically for fiber production. Overall, however, the vast majority of the textile samples have isotopic compositions that are consistent with an origin in the highlands. These data suggest that the hyperarid coastal river valleys of northern Chile did not support substantial camelid herds as has been interpreted for northern Peru.

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“…This mechanism is explained by a more open nitrogen cycle in ecosystems with a higher loss of this element (Austin and Vitousek 1998). NOA records a strong variation depending on altitude, with low isotopic values in higher altitudinal sectors (Samec et al 2017). In agricultural and herding contexts, manure is also indicated as a source enriching the heavier isotope in plants (Finucane et al 2006;Szpak 2014).…”

Section: Theoretical-methodological Principlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Animals for human consumption may be found in any of the photosynthetic pathways, depending on the amount of pasture with either a C3 or C4 photosynthetic pattern. Northwestern Argentina (NOA) records a strong variation depending on altitude, with C3 photosynthetic pattern in higher altitudinal sectors (Samec et al 2017).…”

Section: Theoretical-methodological Principlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable isotope analysis of the Inca mummy from Nevado de Chuscha (Salta, Argentina)*

et al. 2019

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This paper presents the carbon ( 13 C/ 12 C), nitrogen ( 15 N/ 14 N), oxygen ( 18 O/ 16 O), hydrogen ( 2 H/ 1 H) and sulfur ( 34 S/ 32 S) stable isotope values measured in the hair of a female individual from Northwestern Argentina. The analysis of segments of this tissue allows recording diet and migratory changes with a short time resolution. The sample is from a mummified young female individual discovered in the Chuscha mount, Salta province. It was found more than 5000 masl, in a mountain sanctuary of the Inca expansion (capacochas). We discuss the paleodiet and mobility patterns of this individual in the This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.period before death, focusing on the isotopic variations in a limited time scale. The results indicate that the individual moved from a different region to the place where it was sacrificed. Furthermore, in the last year the individual was alive, a shift in the isotopic composition of the food consumed is detected: a variation in the importance of C4 over C3 resources is evident. The results are compared with the isotopic estimations for other children and young people recovered in archaeological contexts associated to capacochas to infer variability in the geographical trajectories covered during their last months of life.

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Carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of natural pastures in the dry Puna of Argentina: a baseline for the study of prehistoric herd management strategies

Cited by 23 publications

References 79 publications

Grazing high and low: Can we detect horse altitudinal mobility using high‐resolution isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values) time series in tail hair? A case study in the Mongolian Altai

Grazing high and low: Can we detect horse altitudinal mobility using high‐resolution isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values) time series in tail hair? A case study in the Mongolian Altai

Camelid husbandry in the Atacama Desert? A stable isotope study of camelid bone collagen and textiles from the Lluta and Camarones Valleys, northern Chile

Stable isotope analysis of the Inca mummy from Nevado de Chuscha (Salta, Argentina)*

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Carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of natural pastures in the dry Puna of Argentina: a baseline for the study of prehistoric herd management strategies

Cited by 23 publications

References 79 publications

Grazing high and low: Can we detect horse altitudinal mobility using high‐resolution isotope (δ13C and δ15N values) time series in tail hair? A case study in the Mongolian Altai

Grazing high and low: Can we detect horse altitudinal mobility using high‐resolution isotope (δ13C and δ15N values) time series in tail hair? A case study in the Mongolian Altai

Camelid husbandry in the Atacama Desert? A stable isotope study of camelid bone collagen and textiles from the Lluta and Camarones Valleys, northern Chile

Stable isotope analysis of the Inca mummy from Nevado de Chuscha (Salta, Argentina)*

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Grazing high and low: Can we detect horse altitudinal mobility using high‐resolution isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values) time series in tail hair? A case study in the Mongolian Altai

Grazing high and low: Can we detect horse altitudinal mobility using high‐resolution isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values) time series in tail hair? A case study in the Mongolian Altai