Moderate climate signature in cranial anatomy of late holocene human populations from Southern South America

2017 ◽  
Vol 165 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lumila Paula Menéndez
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
Moderate Climate

scholarly journals Pre-Hispanic settlements in hydrometeorologically susceptible areas during the late Holocene: The Upper Delta of the Paraná River Case

The Holocene ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (12) ◽  
pp. 1801-1811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Castiñeira Latorre ◽  
Eduardo Apolinaire ◽  
Adriana M Blasi ◽  
Mariano Bonomo ◽  
Gustavo Politis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Paraná River ◽  
Resource Exploitation ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
Settlement Systems ◽  
Parana River ◽  
La Plata Basin ◽  
Human Colonization ◽  
Residential Camps

In this paper, we present the results of the geoarchaeological studies carried out in two archaeological localities of the Upper Delta of the Paraná River (Argentina). The main objective of these studies is to depict the pre-Hispanic strategies involved in the colonization and settlement of southern South America wetlands. Paraná Delta is one of the most conspicuous areas of these lowlands and comprises a large wetland macrosystem. Its current geomorphological configuration was established after the last transgressive mid-Holocene event c. 6000 14C yr BP. In this environment, a high ecological heterogeneity, with diverse and abundant tropical and temperate biota, was developed. These features were important factors to the human colonization and utilization of these wetlands. However, this environment has the highest hydrometeorological susceptibility of La Plata basin. This susceptibility had an impact on settlement systems and resource exploitation strategies established in the area since at least 2000 14C yr BP. These strategies involved at least two settlement types: semi-permanent residential camps and transitory camps oriented to exploit particular resources. The semi-permanent settlements were located in anthropogenic elevated mounds, locally known as ‘cerritos’, and were not subjected to seasonal inundations. Conversely, the transitory camps are found in levees exposed to recurrent flooding.

Stable isotope evidence supports pelagic fishing by hunter-gatherers in southern South America during the Late Holocene

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 486-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atilio Francisco Zangrando ◽  
Luciana Riccialdelli ◽  
Sayuri Kochi ◽  
Jonathan W. Nye ◽  
Augusto Tessone
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
South America ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
Isotope Evidence ◽  
Pelagic Fishing

Testing ecological and environmental changes during the last 6000 years: a multiproxy approach based on the bivalve Tawera gayi from southern South America

2011 ◽  
Vol 91 (7) ◽  
pp. 1413-1427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Gordillo ◽  
Julieta Martinelli ◽  
Javiera Cárdenas ◽  
M. Sol Bayer
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
South America ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Growth Dynamics ◽  
Tierra Del Fuego ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Geological Time ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
Ecological Variability

This paper evaluates if the bivalve Tawera gayi from southern South America represents an opportunity to test ecological variability and environmental changes during the last 6000 years in southern South America. For this purpose, we analyse both modern and fossil (mid-to-late Holocene) T. gayi shells from Tierra del Fuego using different techniques, including taphonomy, stable isotopes, cathodoluminiscence (CL) and linear morphometrics. Taphonomic analysis shows that differences between modern and fossil shells appear best related to local variations of physical factors such as current speed, wave action and freshwater input along the non-uniform Beagle Channel coast. However, slight changes of hydraulic energy regimes throughout the Holocene cannot be ruled out. The analysis of stable isotopes on T. gayi shells indicates a mixing of oceanic waters with freshwater from precipitation, river runoff and glacier meltwater during the mid-to-late Holocene. The high depletion of δ18O at ~4400 years before present would be associated with a period of warmer temperatures, the so-called Hypsithermal. Under CL modern and fossil T. gayi shells show a well defined pattern related to the growth dynamics of the shell, which can lead to a better understanding of its biology, adding details to further palaeoenvironmental analysis. Finally, conventional metrics shows that fossil T. gayi shells are smaller and shorter than modern shells. These differences could be related to Holocene environmental changes, but here are best explained on the basis of a predator–prey relationship. This study shows that T. gayi may be a good candidate for looking at evidences of environmental changes in southern South America, and multi-proxy data are necessary to better understand the driving mechanisms of ecological variability and changes over short geological time intervals of few thousands of years.

scholarly journals Ecological and evolutionary factors in dental morphological diversification among modern human populations from southern South America

2009 ◽  
Vol 277 (1684) ◽  
pp. 1107-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Bernal ◽  
S. Ivan Perez ◽  
Paula N. Gonzalez ◽  
José Alexandre Felizola Diniz-Filho
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Generalized Least Squares ◽  
Procrustes Analysis ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Shape Variation ◽  
Southern South America

The knowledge of processes involved in morphological variation requires the integrated analysis of evolutionary and ecological factors. Here, we investigate the factors responsible for dental variation among human populations from southern South America. The aim of this work is to test the correspondence of dental size and shape variation with geographical, molecular (i.e. mtDNA) and ecological (i.e. climate, diet and food preparation) variables employing comparative phylogenetic methods, which have not previously been extensively applied at a within-species level. The results of the Procrustes analysis show a significant association of shape variables with molecular distance and geography, whereas dental size is not associated with molecular or geographical distances among groups. Phylogenetic generalized least-squares analysis, which takes into account the evolutionary autocorrelation among populations, shows a significant relationship between dental size variation and diet, while temperature and pottery do not correspond with dental size or shape. Specifically, groups with diets rich in carbohydrates, as well as the maritime hunter-gatherers, have the smallest teeth. In summary, our results support ecological factors as the dominant factor on dental size diversification in this region, while evolutionary relationships account for variation in dental shape.

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