Lake level change, climate, and the impact of natural events: the role of seismic and volcanic events in the formation of the Lake Patzcuaro Basin, Michoacan, Mexico

Recent Research in Western Mexican Archaeology

“…The Epiclassic political reorganization summarized above coincides with late first millennium intensification of drier conditions, as recorded in various paleoclimatic studies across the western highlands (Fisher et al 2003;Israde Alcántara et al 2005;Metcalfe 2006;) and beyond (Hodell et al 1995). The hypothesis that climatic downturn in the north eventually led to the region's depopulation dates back to Armillas (1969), and while the model does not seem to explain the original test case (La Quemada, see Nelson et al n.d.), it deserves serious consideration along the Río Lerma.…”

“…They have attracted attention both as foci for early farming and complex social developments and as repositories of paleoenvironmental evidence in the form of pollen, diatoms, ostracods, phytoliths, or geomorphological change (Bradbury 2000;Caballero et al 1999Caballero et al , 2002Davies et al 2004;Endfield and O'Hara 1999;Israde Alcántara et al 2005;Leng et al 2005;Lozano García and Xelhuantzi López 1997;Metcalfe 1997Metcalfe , 2006Metcalfe et al 2000Ruter et al 2004;Telford et al 2004). Many researchers see the importance of this work for archaeology, but those studies done in direct collaboration with archaeologists will be the best tailored to our interests (e.g., Arnauld et al 1997;Fisher 2000Fisher , 2005Fisher , 2007Fisher et al 2003).…”

Local soil classification and comparison of indigenous and technical soil maps in a Mesoamerican community using spatial analysis

“…Thus, volcanic activity affected erosion and sedimentation rates in the Pátzcuaro lake when the basin was already inhabited. Over the last 500 years, volcanism and tectonism continued to be active until the eruption of the Paricutin volcano (1943)(1944)(1945)(1946)(1947)(1948)(1949)(1950)(1951)(1952), located just 60 km from Pichátaro (Luhr and Smikin, 1993;Endfield and O'Hara, 1999;Fisher, 2000;Fisher et al, 2004;Israde-Alcántara et al, 2005). However, there are no conspicuous soil erosion features visible on the landscape or recorded in historical documents.…”

Speciation of silversideChirostoma attenuatum(Pisces: Atheriniformes) in Central Mexico

“…30,000 years ago (Israde‐Alcántara, Garduño‐Monroy, Fisher, Pollard, & Rodríguez‐Pascua, ). Evidence of a secondary paleoconnection, about 8,000 years ago (Garduño‐Monroy et al., ; Israde‐Alcántara et al., ), is supported by phylogeographic findings of the closely related goodeine species Allotoca meeki Álvarez, 1959 from Zirahuen and Allotoca diazi Meek, from Patzcuaro that suggest a recent isolation process ca . 7,000 years ago (Corona‐Santiago, Doadrio, & Domínguez‐Domínguez, ).…”