Coprolite diversity from the archeological site Gruta Do Gentio Ll, Unaí, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

The first paleoparasitological analyses in Brazil are related to the Gruta do Gentio ll (GGll) an archeological site related to the beginning of the Una ceramist tradition (13,000–410 cal B.P.), with two subsistence horizons, an ancient one related do hunter-gatherers, and a more recent one related to a horticulturist population. Crucial cultural traces of Una tradition such as pottery, fabric, adornments made from animal teeth and shells, and food remnants were also identified during the GGII excavations. Coprolites, fossilized or mineralized feces are important elements in the studies on taphonomy and sedimentology, and yield valuable information on parasitological, environmental, producer origin, and diet. In the present study, GGll coprolites were submitted to morphological and morphometrical procedures to identify the probable origin of samples within the geographical location of study. The results of the identification of coprolites showed four different morphotypes including complex, flat, spherical, and cylindrical, in 10 distinct colors, distributed heterogeneously in 16 sectors and 11 stratigraphic layers, indicating a great variety of not only human but animal coprolites. With the collected data, along with previous archeological evaluations, we can propose a primary GGII paleoecological scenario, with the presence of animals and humans that used de cave in the Pleistocene and Holocene times of Southeast Brazil.