Damaged glyptodontid skulls from Late Pleistocene sites of northwestern Venezuela: evidence of hunting by humans?

CARLINI, A.A.; CARRILLO-BRICEÑO, J.D.; JAIMES, A.; AGUILERA, O.; ZURITA, A.; IRIARTE, J.; SÁNCHEZ VILLAGRA M.

Swiss Journal of Palaeontoloy

Springer Nature

Lugar: Zurich; Año: 2022 vol. 2022 p. 1 - 14

1664-2376

AbstractThe Muaco and Taima-Taima sites, in Falcón State of northwestern Venezuela, are among the earliest sites of humanoccupation in South America containing artifacts associated with preserved megafaunal remains and dating between19,810 and 15,780 calybp. Here we report novel visual and CT scanning analysis of six glyptodont skulls of Glyptotheriumcf. cylindricum from these sites, of which four exhibit distinct and similar patterns of breakages in the frontoparietalregion that suggest intentional blows by direct percussion by humans, with fractures not being diageneticbut instead antemortem or transmortem. This hypothesized and unreported hunting technique focused in an areaof the skull where the cephalic shield becomes thin, thus increasing the effectiveness of the blow. From Taima-Taimaother glyptodont remains included an inverted carapace, also previously reported as probable evidence of human–glyptodont interaction during the latest Pleistocene. We estimated that roughly 150-170 Kg of potentially accessiblemuscles and fat of an adult Glyptotherium cylindricum could be used as food sources.