Palaeo‐geoecological significance of Pleistocene trees in the Lluta Valley, Atacama Desert

Veit, Heinz; May, Jan; Madella, Andrea; Delunel, Romain; Schlunegger, Fritz; Szidat, Sönke; Capriles, José M.

doi:10.1002/jqs.2857

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…Advances are also documented during the late-glacial (here referred to as the period between 18-12 ka) at ~16 ka in the El Encierro valley, the Sierra de Quilmes and Tres Lagunas (29°-22°S) coinciding with a massive lake transgression phase recorded on the Altiplano (Placzek et al, 2011) and increased discharge of Río Lluta in northern Chile (Veit et al, 2016), implying an increase in precipitation during this time. Further south in the Rucachoroi valley (39°S) a late-glacial glacier is still preserved at ~15 ka.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Timing and extent of late pleistocene glaciation in the arid Central Andes of Argentina and Chile (22°-41°S)

Zech¹,

Terrizzano²,

Veit³

et al. 2017

CIG

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Timing and extent of late pleistocene glaciation in the arid Central Andes of Argentina and Chile (22°-41°S)

Zech¹,

Terrizzano²,

Veit³

et al. 2017

CIG

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“…Concomitant glacier advances, implying a snowline depression of up to 1000 m, occurred on the Bolivian Altiplano apparently brought about by a precipitation intensification of at least 250 mm/yr and >4 deg C cooling (Blard et al, 2009(Blard et al, , 2013Placzek et al, 2013). Similarly, positive rainfall anomalies enhanced groundwater and superficial discharge along Andean catchments (Rech et al, 2003;Nester et al, 2007;Quade et al, 2008;Gayo et al, 2012;Schittek, 2014;Saez et al, 2016;Veit et al, 2016), which in turn could have amplified the extension and bioproductivity of fertile environments for human activities (i.e. bofedales).…”

Section: Regional Environmental Characteristics Past and Presentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Dry Puna as an ecological megapatch and the peopling of South America: Technology, mobility, and the development of a late Pleistocene/early Holocene Andean hunter-gatherer tradition in northern Chile

Osorio

Steele

Sepúlveda

et al. 2017

Quaternary International

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A B S T R A C T. Current scientific evidence shows that humans colonized South America at least 15,000 years ago, but there are still many unknown aspects of this process, including the major and minor migratory routes involved, and the pattern of successive occupation of a diverse continental mosaic of ecosystems. In this context, the role of the Andean highlands (_3400 meters above sea level) has been neglected, because of the supposedly harsh conditions for humans including hypoxia and cold climate. Nevertheless, the environmental and cultural resources available in the high Andes constitutes an important "megapatch" that should be assessed in terms of human settlement patterns. We review the evidence for late Pleistocene/ early Holocene hunter-gatherer occupation of one part of this megapatch, the northern Chilean Dry Puna, in its palaeoecological context. We focus on lithic technology, faunal remains, radiocarbon dates, and other archaeological materials related to different social activities, which allow us to suggest that groups of hunter-gatherers organized and adapted their way of life to highland ecosystems through logistical mobility, and curatorial strategies for lithic tool kits that included projectile points and other formalized tools. The morphology and technological processes involved are recognized over vast territories along the high Andes. We identify this material expression as the high south central Andean Archaic hunter-gatherer tradition, which also featured long distance mobile settlement systems and communication processes over this broad and distinct megapatch. More speculatively, we outline the hypothesis that these highland ecosystems constituted a suitable migratory route that may have been key for the early peopling of the continent, and contrast it with the alternative hypothesis of the initially secondary and seasonally intermittent exploitation of this habitat by hunter-gatherers dispersing along the Pacific coastal corridor.

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“…The synchronicity of climate proxies that reflect increased precipitation with the aggradation of surface Qf3 suggests that the alluvial fan deposit formed according to the humid model of fan development. Veit et al (2016) Lluta, relative increases in precipitation result in increased and/or more consistent discharge, allowing for incision (Veit et al, 2016).…”

Section: Climatic Controls On Alluvial Fan Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Timing and nature of alluvial fan development along the Chajnantor Plateau, northern Chile

Cesta

Ward

2016

Geomorphology

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Alluvial systems in the Atacama Desert provide a unique opportunity to elucidate the sedimentary response to climate variability, particularly changes in precipitation, in hyperarid environments. Alluvial fans along the eastern margin of the Salar de Atacama, adjacent to the Chajnantor Plateau in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, provide an archive of climate-modulated sediment transfer and erosion at an extreme of Earth's climate. Three regional alluvial fan surfaces (Qf1 [oldest] to Qf3 [youngest]) were mapped along the western flank of the Chajnantor Plateau. The alluvial fans were examined with geomorphic and terrestrial cosmogenic 36 Cl surface exposure dating methods to define the timing of alluvial fan formation and to determine the role of climatic processes on fan development in a hyperarid environment. Alluvial fans in the study area are comprised of hyperconcentrated flow and boulder-rich debris flow deposits that reflect deposition transitioning between cohesive and noncohesive regimes. Alluvial fan surfaces yield exposure ages that range from 49.6 ± 4.4 to 194 ± 12 ka, while debris flow boulders yield exposure ages ranging from 12.4 ± 2.1 to 229 ± 53 ka. Cosmogenic 36 Cl exposure ages indicate that abandonment of alluvial fan surfaces Qf1, Qf2, and Qf3 date to 175 ± 22.6 ka (MIS 6), 134.5 ± 9.18 ka (MIS 6), and 20.07 ± 6.26 ka (MIS 2), respectively. A 36 Cl concentration-depth profile through alluvial fan Qf1 suggests a simple depositional history with minimal nuclide inheritance implying relatively rapid aggradation (6 m in ca. 25 ky) followed by surface abandonment ca. 180-200 ka. Our data support a strong climatic control on alluvial fan evolution in the region, and we propose that the alluvial fans along the margins of the Salar de Atacama form according to the humid model of fan formation.

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Palaeo‐geoecological significance of Pleistocene trees in the Lluta Valley, Atacama Desert

Cited by 13 publications

References 78 publications

Timing and extent of late pleistocene glaciation in the arid Central Andes of Argentina and Chile (22°-41°S)

Timing and extent of late pleistocene glaciation in the arid Central Andes of Argentina and Chile (22°-41°S)

The Dry Puna as an ecological megapatch and the peopling of South America: Technology, mobility, and the development of a late Pleistocene/early Holocene Andean hunter-gatherer tradition in northern Chile

Timing and nature of alluvial fan development along the Chajnantor Plateau, northern Chile

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