Comparative study of bone mineralization in guanaco (Lama guanicoe). Implications for differential preservation in archaeological sites

GUTIÉRREZ, M.; KAUFMANN, C.; GONZÁLEZ, M.; MASSIGOGE, A.; ALVAREZ, M. C.

Vancouver, Canadá

Congreso; 73rd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology; 2008

Society for American Archaeology

Zooarchaeologists frequently analyze skeletal parts representation and mortality profiles to evaluate human economic decisions. Different taphonomic processes are mediated by bone mineral density causing the under representation of certain skeletal parts and younger age groups. The aim of this paper is to present a bone mineralization curve for guanaco (Lama guanicoe) considering the ontogenic development of the species. Densitometric analyses of guanaco bones from six age classes have been conducted. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the mineralization process along the life span of the guanaco and to explore if there is a bias against younger individuals due to differences in bone mineral content.