INVESTIGADORES
MARTINEZ CARRETERO Eduardo Enrique
artículos
Título:
Presence of Hippidion at two sites of western Argentina. Diet comPleistocene megafaunaposition and contribution to the study of the extinction of
Autor/es:
GARCIA, A., E. MARTÍNEZ CARRETERO AND M. DACAR
Revista:
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
Editorial:
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Referencias:
Lugar: Alemania; Año: 2008 vol. 180 p. 22 - 29
ISSN:
1040-6182
Resumen:
The composition of Hippidion diet, and possible changes that could relate to its extinction, were evaluated in the Argentinean-Chilean
Central Andes, a Neotropical environment characterized by arid to semiarid conditions (Andean hot and cold deserts). Microhistological
analyses were made on feces of Hippidion found at Los Morrillos (311430S681420W, 3000m a.s.l.) and Gruta del Indio (341350S,
681220W, 660m a.s.l.). At Gruta del Indio the diet of Hippidion was based mainly on woody species. At Los Morrillos, it was based on
herbaceous species.
This flexibility in diet composition could be a relative adaptive advantage allowing a longer permanence of this species in comparison
to others recorded in the region (such as Megatherium and Mylodon). Nevertheless, this advantage was not enough to guarantee its
survival during the Holocene. Extinction could have been affected by diverse agents, such as growing aridification of the area, increasing
competition with other species (mainly Lama guanicoe), and human presence, along with a relatively low population density (as expected
from the limited presence of Hippidion at the archaeological and palaeontological sites of South America. At Gruta del Indio significant
changes in the diet of Hippidion corresponding to different intervals of the period 31,0009000 14C BP are not evident. Given this
evidence for similar diets for Hippidion throughout the late Quaternary, other factors need to be considered to explain the extinction of
this horse.Hippidion diet, and possible changes that could relate to its extinction, were evaluated in the Argentinean-Chilean
Central Andes, a Neotropical environment characterized by arid to semiarid conditions (Andean hot and cold deserts). Microhistological
analyses were made on feces of Hippidion found at Los Morrillos (311430S681420W, 3000m a.s.l.) and Gruta del Indio (341350S,
681220W, 660m a.s.l.). At Gruta del Indio the diet of Hippidion was based mainly on woody species. At Los Morrillos, it was based on
herbaceous species.
This flexibility in diet composition could be a relative adaptive advantage allowing a longer permanence of this species in comparison
to others recorded in the region (such as Megatherium and Mylodon). Nevertheless, this advantage was not enough to guarantee its
survival during the Holocene. Extinction could have been affected by diverse agents, such as growing aridification of the area, increasing
competition with other species (mainly Lama guanicoe), and human presence, along with a relatively low population density (as expected
from the limited presence of Hippidion at the archaeological and palaeontological sites of South America. At Gruta del Indio significant
changes in the diet of Hippidion corresponding to different intervals of the period 31,0009000 14C BP are not evident. Given this
evidence for similar diets for Hippidion throughout the late Quaternary, other factors need to be considered to explain the extinction of
this horse.Hippidion found at Los Morrillos (311430S681420W, 3000m a.s.l.) and Gruta del Indio (341350S,
681220W, 660m a.s.l.). At Gruta del Indio the diet of Hippidion was based mainly on woody species. At Los Morrillos, it was based on
herbaceous species.
This flexibility in diet composition could be a relative adaptive advantage allowing a longer permanence of this species in comparison
to others recorded in the region (such as Megatherium and Mylodon). Nevertheless, this advantage was not enough to guarantee its
survival during the Holocene. Extinction could have been affected by diverse agents, such as growing aridification of the area, increasing
competition with other species (mainly Lama guanicoe), and human presence, along with a relatively low population density (as expected
from the limited presence of Hippidion at the archaeological and palaeontological sites of South America. At Gruta del Indio significant
changes in the diet of Hippidion corresponding to different intervals of the period 31,0009000 14C BP are not evident. Given this
evidence for similar diets for Hippidion throughout the late Quaternary, other factors need to be considered to explain the extinction of
this horse.1220W, 660m a.s.l.). At Gruta del Indio the diet of Hippidion was based mainly on woody species. At Los Morrillos, it was based on
herbaceous species.
This flexibility in diet composition could be a relative adaptive advantage allowing a longer permanence of this species in comparison
to others recorded in the region (such as Megatherium and Mylodon). Nevertheless, this advantage was not enough to guarantee its
survival during the Holocene. Extinction could have been affected by diverse agents, such as growing aridification of the area, increasing
competition with other species (mainly Lama guanicoe), and human presence, along with a relatively low population density (as expected
from the limited presence of Hippidion at the archaeological and palaeontological sites of South America. At Gruta del Indio significant
changes in the diet of Hippidion corresponding to different intervals of the period 31,0009000 14C BP are not evident. Given this
evidence for similar diets for Hippidion throughout the late Quaternary, other factors need to be considered to explain the extinction of
this horse.Megatherium and Mylodon). Nevertheless, this advantage was not enough to guarantee its
survival during the Holocene. Extinction could have been affected by diverse agents, such as growing aridification of the area, increasing
competition with other species (mainly Lama guanicoe), and human presence, along with a relatively low population density (as expected
from the limited presence of Hippidion at the archaeological and palaeontological sites of South America. At Gruta del Indio significant
changes in the diet of Hippidion corresponding to different intervals of the period 31,0009000 14C BP are not evident. Given this
evidence for similar diets for Hippidion throughout the late Quaternary, other factors need to be considered to explain the extinction of
this horse.Lama guanicoe), and human presence, along with a relatively low population density (as expected
from the limited presence of Hippidion at the archaeological and palaeontological sites of South America. At Gruta del Indio significant
changes in the diet of Hippidion corresponding to different intervals of the period 31,0009000 14C BP are not evident. Given this
evidence for similar diets for Hippidion throughout the late Quaternary, other factors need to be considered to explain the extinction of
this horse.Hippidion at the archaeological and palaeontological sites of South America. At Gruta del Indio significant
changes in the diet of Hippidion corresponding to different intervals of the period 31,0009000 14C BP are not evident. Given this
evidence for similar diets for Hippidion throughout the late Quaternary, other factors need to be considered to explain the extinction of
this horse.Hippidion corresponding to different intervals of the period 31,0009000 14C BP are not evident. Given this
evidence for similar diets for Hippidion throughout the late Quaternary, other factors need to be considered to explain the extinction of
this horse.Hippidion throughout the late Quaternary, other factors need to be considered to explain the extinction of
this horse.