Dietary ecology of extant guanaco (Lama guanicoe) from Southern Patagonia: seasonal leaf browsing and its archaeological implications

RIVALS, FLORENT, RINDEL, DIEGO DAMIÁN Y BELARDI, JUAN BAUTISTA

JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2013 vol. 40 p. 2971 - 2980

0305-4403

The analysis of dietary traits of ungulates through tooth microwear and mesowear has been applied toarchaeological sites to investigate seasonal changes in settlements by hunteregatherers. In this paper wepropose to test the hypothesis that tooth microwear (combined to mesowear) is able to indicate seasonalityin the diet of extant ungulates in arid habitats (semi-deserts or steppe). The material analyzedcomes from six faunal monospecific assemblages of guanaco (Lama guanicoe) resulting from a massmortality event in winter 2000 near the Cardiel Lake in Southern Patagonia (Province of Santa Cruz,Argentina). Mesowear results indicate that the guanacos from the Cardiel Lake area are mixed feeders,and thus, have a diet that shifts seasonally. Moreover, microwear analysis supports the hypothesis thattooth microwear is able to indicate seasonality in the diet of extant guanaco in arid habitats. The patternis clear for the winter sample and needs to be confirmed for a summer sample. Consequently, toothmicrowear is proposed as a new potential proxy for detecting seasonal occupation in archaeological sitesin Patagonia and other arid environments.