Early to Middle Holocene Climatic Change and the Use of Animal Resources by Highland Hunter-Gatherers of the South-Central Andes

The distribution of the guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in Patagonia during Late Pleistocene–Holocene and its importance for prehistoric human diet

“…In the present time, this area has high primary productivity (Oliva et al, 2001), and probably the productivity was even higher during the late Pleistocene and Early Holocene (Cione et al 2009; McCulloch et al, 2000; Tonni and Carlini, 2008; Villavicencio et al, 2016), explaining the high values of potential distribution of guanacos. Although the guanaco does not have an extreme dependence on water –since it is not an obligate drinker (Rick and Moore, 2001; Yacobaccio et al, 2017) and there are even anecdotal reports that it can drink salty water (Darwin, 1845; Gerken et al, 2019)–, the high potential for distribution in the Andean range also could be related to larger water availability in this area or to indirect water supply on the pastures that the animals consume. Outside this area, some steppe environments present variable but generally high potential for guanaco distribution, such as the Deseado Massif.…”

Lama guanicoe bone collagen stable isotope (C and N) indicate climatic and ecological variation during Holocene in Northwest Patagonia

“…Stable isotope ratios (C and N) on camelid bones offer information about the stability of the floral communities over time and climate as the stable isotope of carbon and nitrogen are reflecting the water balance of the environment (Yacobaccio et al, 2017).…”

“…For this reason, Ambrose and DeNiro (1989) suggest the use of stable isotope ratios of herbivore bone as a valid proxy to environmental reconstruction. The enrichment in both isotopes is expected as response to an increase in the aridity index specifically to camelids (Yacobaccio et al, 2017). Guanaco bone collagen stable isotope values could be a useful tool for reconstruct certain aspects of climates and habitats.…”

“…Stable isotopic analyses of herbivorous mammal bone are a powerful tool for reconstructing past environments and ecological histories from archaeological and paleontological sites (Ambrose and DeNiro, 1999;Veth et al, 2018;Yacobaccio et al, 2017). Guanaco and camelids, in general, show high potential for applying isotopes analyses to trace ecological relationships due to particulars concerning their distribution and feeding ecology.…”

“…Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is one of the most significant South American resources exploited by humans since the early human colonization to historic times (Borrero, 1990, Martínez et al, 2017Rindel, 2017;Yacobaccio et al, 2017). The stable isotopes in camelid bone are both necessary and popular to reconstruct the human diet in terms of its significance (Barberena et al, 2009;Gil et al, 2016;Samec et al, 2018;Loponte and Corriale, 2019).…”