Sex and age-biased exploitation and metric characterization of medium-sized deer in the Lower Paraná wetland

LOPONTE, DANIEL M.; CORRIALE, MARÍA JOSÉ; MUCCIOLO, LEONARDO; ACOSTA, ALEJANDRO

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

© John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Año: 2019

In this paper we present the analysis of the exploitation of medium-sized deer in the Lower Paraná wetland by pre-Columbian hunter-gatherers. To achieve this goal, we developed an osteometric frame of reference for the proper identification of the hunted medium-sized deer, the sex and the age of the captured individuals. The analysis of thirteen archaeofaunal assemblages showed that Ozotoceros bezoarticus (?pampas deer?) was the medium-sized deer hunted with exclusivity. The presence of Mazama guazoubira (?brown brocket deer?; ?gray brocket deer?), which it could has been the other medium-sized deer potentially hunted, is absent in the record, although this area is indicated as its southernmost distribution range in South America. These results restrict the distribution of this species to a more northern sector of this large wetland. The hunted individuals of O. bezoarticus are all older than 2 years of age, and preferentially males, although some methodological bias could be influencing these results. Issues related to the sex-age selectivity in the capture of the animals are discussed according to the development of conservation strategies of the local resources.