Palimpsest of micromammal deposits in an archaeological rock shelter (Álvarez 4, Late Holocene) from northwestern Patagonia, Argentina

Guillermo, Ailín A.; Montalvo, Claudia I.; Fernández, Fernando Julián

doi:10.1007/s12520-021-01437-7

Cited by 4 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…It is largely known that archeological records are palimpsests on which different taphonomic agents intervene (e.g. Bailey, 2007; Ballejo et al, 2022; Guillermo et al, 2021; Lucas, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Small mammals are suitable proxies for paleoenvironmental and, to a minor extent, paleoclimatic reconstructions, particularly during the Quaternary (e.g. Andrews, 1990;Avery, 1982;Guillermo et al, 2021;Hadly, 1996;Pardiñas et al, 2022;Thackeray, 1987;Wood and Barnosky, 1994). Taphonomic studies of micromammal remains are important for inferring the main sources of the faunal accumulation, embracing a variety of agents and processes, in order to perform supported reconstructions of the past (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Taphonomic studies of micromammal remains are important for inferring the main sources of the faunal accumulation, embracing a variety of agents and processes, in order to perform supported reconstructions of the past (e.g. Andrews, 1990;Avery, 1982;Dodson and Wexlar, 1979;Fernández et al, 2019;Guillermo et al, 2021;Montalvo and Fernández, 2019;Pardiñas, 1999b;Stahl, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forest stability during the Holocene in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil revealed by small mammals from Gruta do Presépio

Hadler,

Fernández,

Cherem

et al. 2023

The Holocene

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Quaternary small mammals are important proxies for paleoenvironmental reconstructions. The Brazilian record, although famous and continuously growing, is hampered by poor chronological control due to the nature of most of the published assemblages. Here, we present a taphonomic analysis and paleoenvironmental reconstruction based on marsupials, bats, and rodents (480 remains) from the Gruta do Presépio archeological site (GPR, hereafter), Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil. The site is a rock shelter located in an Atlantic Forest biome, an important biodiversity hotspot. The GPR sedimentary sequence spans the Early Holocene (8330 ± 30 years 14C BP) to recent Historical time (after the arrival of Europeans). Most of the small mammal remains were deposited by strigiforms, although for the oldest units some strongly digested remains could indicate the activity of diurnal birds or carnivorous mammals. The GPR small mammal assemblages include 28 taxa (five marsupials, nine chiropterans, and 14 rodents). Most of them indicate the occurrence and persistence of forested environments during the Holocene around the site, which is in overall agreement with regional palynological data. A major community change, implying the increment of rodents allied to disturbed ecosystems (e.g. Akodon, Oligoryzomys, Mus), is very recent and reflects human forest clearance as a signature of the Anthropocene.

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“…It is largely known that archeological records are palimpsests on which different taphonomic agents intervene (e.g. Bailey, 2007; Ballejo et al, 2022; Guillermo et al, 2021; Lucas, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forest stability during the Holocene in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil revealed by small mammals from Gruta do Presépio

Hadler,

Fernández,

Cherem

et al. 2023

The Holocene

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“…Bones from disaggregated pellets will be more exposed to post-depositional processes such as weathering and trampling than those bones in the interior of a pellet [11,56]. This scenario was recently documented in the archaeological rock shelter Álvarez 4 (late Holocene) located in the arid and cold environment of northwestern Patagonia of Argentina, where the bones from the pellets were less fractured than bone assemblages isolated in the sedimentary matrix [57].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Impact of Trampling on Rodent Bones

et al. 2022

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Experiments based on the premise of uniformitarism are an effective tool to establish patterns of taphonomic processes acting either before, or after, burial. One process that has been extensively investigated experimentally is the impact of trampling to large mammal bones. Since trampling marks caused by sedimentary friction strongly mimic cut marks made by humans using stone tools during butchery, distinguishing the origin of such modifications is especially relevant to the study of human evolution. In contrast, damage resulting from trampling on small mammal fossil bones has received less attention, despite the fact that it may solve interesting problems relating to site formation processes. While it has been observed that the impact of compression depends on the type of substrate and dryness of the skeletal elements, the fragility of small mammal bones may imply that they will break as a response to compression. Here, we have undertaken a controlled experiment using material resistance compression equipment to simulate a preliminary experiment, previously devised by one of us, on human trampling of owl pellets. Our results demonstrate that different patterns of breakage can be distinguished under wet and dry conditions in mandibles, skulls and long bones that deform or break in a consistent way. Further, small compact bones almost always remain intact, resisting breakage under compression. The pattern obtained here was applied to a Pleistocene small mammal fossil assemblage from Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa). This collection showed unusually extensive breakage and skeletal element representation that could not be entirely explained by excavation procedures or digestion by the predator. We propose that trampling was a significant factor in small mammal bone destruction at Wonderwerk Cave, partly the product of trampling caused by the raptor that introduced the microfauna into the cave, as well as by hominins and other terrestrial animals that entered the cave and trampled pellets covering the cave floor.

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“…The second and last paper (Guillermo et al 2021) provides a taphonomic and environmental study of the small mammal accumulation in Álvarez 4, a Holocene archaeological site in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. The taphonomic analysis shows that Accipitriformes could be the main predator responsible for small mammal accumulations.…”

Section: Late Upper Paleolithic-early Holocene and Amhmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microvertebrate studies in archaeological contexts: Middle Paleolithic to early Holocene past environments

López-García

Blain

Rhodes

et al. 2022

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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Palimpsest of micromammal deposits in an archaeological rock shelter (Álvarez 4, Late Holocene) from northwestern Patagonia, Argentina

Cited by 4 publications

References 37 publications

Forest stability during the Holocene in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil revealed by small mammals from Gruta do Presépio

Forest stability during the Holocene in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil revealed by small mammals from Gruta do Presépio

Understanding the Impact of Trampling on Rodent Bones

Microvertebrate studies in archaeological contexts: Middle Paleolithic to early Holocene past environments

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