PHOTOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY, SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION, ISOTOPIC ECOLOGY, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRE-HISPANIC HUMAN DIETS IN CENTRAL-WESTERN ARGENTINA

LLANO, CARINA

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lugar: Chichester; Año: 2009 vol. 19 p. 130 - 143

1047-482X

In a number of areas around the world researchers have begun to use the isotopic values of subsistence resources as a means of determining human populations’ diets. The objective of the present study is to classify the plant species present at distinct altitudes in southern Mendoza Province, Argentina, considering photosynthetic pathways in order to determine their ä13C isotopic signature. This will help to understand the relationships between diets and the isotopic values observed on archaeological human remains. Data compiled from various sources are used to establish the photosynthetic pathways and mean ä13C values. The results indicate that C3 species are dominant at high-altitude settings, and that the few identified C4 species were found primarily in lower altitudes. These results are intended to serve as a foundation for future isotopic studies designed to address relationships among species at different trophic levels.