Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago

Autores
Prates, Luciano Raúl; Medina, Matias Eduardo; Perez, Sergio Ivan
Año de publicación
2025
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
One of the most widely cited objections to hypotheses that defend a central role for humans in late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions in South America has been the assumption that extinct megafauna was a marginal resource in early human economies. Based on accurate chronological frames and faunal quantitative data, we demonstrate that extinct megafauna were principal prey item of early foragers from ca. 13,000 to 11,600 calibrated years before present (cal. years BP), and this fact had likely been obscured by lumping together pre- and post-extinction archaeological faunal assemblages within a single chronological window. We also show that the most exploited extinct taxa were at the apex of the ranking of the Prey Choice Model. After the diversity and abundance of megafauna had already declined severely (ca. 12,500 BP), and especially after they had virtually disappeared (ca. 11,600 BP), the human diet was broadened. This strongly reinforces the idea that humans must be central to the debate on Quaternary extinctions in South America.
Fil: Prates, Luciano Raúl. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Arqueología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina
Fil: Medina, Matias Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Arqueología; Argentina
Fil: Perez, Sergio Ivan. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico Antropologico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina
Materia
ZOOARCHAEOLOGY
MEGAFAUNA
PLEISTOCENE
HUNTERS-GATHERERS
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/281201
Acceder
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network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years agoPrates, Luciano RaúlMedina, Matias EduardoPerez, Sergio IvanZOOARCHAEOLOGYMEGAFAUNAPLEISTOCENEHUNTERS-GATHERERShttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.1https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6One of the most widely cited objections to hypotheses that defend a central role for humans in late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions in South America has been the assumption that extinct megafauna was a marginal resource in early human economies. Based on accurate chronological frames and faunal quantitative data, we demonstrate that extinct megafauna were principal prey item of early foragers from ca. 13,000 to 11,600 calibrated years before present (cal. years BP), and this fact had likely been obscured by lumping together pre- and post-extinction archaeological faunal assemblages within a single chronological window. We also show that the most exploited extinct taxa were at the apex of the ranking of the Prey Choice Model. After the diversity and abundance of megafauna had already declined severely (ca. 12,500 BP), and especially after they had virtually disappeared (ca. 11,600 BP), the human diet was broadened. This strongly reinforces the idea that humans must be central to the debate on Quaternary extinctions in South America.Fil: Prates, Luciano Raúl. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Arqueología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Medina, Matias Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Arqueología; ArgentinaFil: Perez, Sergio Ivan. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico Antropologico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaScience Advances is the American Association for the Advancement of Science2025-10info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/281201Prates, Luciano Raúl; Medina, Matias Eduardo; Perez, Sergio Ivan; Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago; Science Advances is the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Science Advances; 11; 10-2025; 1-92375-2548CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adx2615info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adx2615info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2026-03-31T14:45:14Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/281201instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982026-03-31 14:45:14.517CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago
title Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago
spellingShingle Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago
Prates, Luciano Raúl
ZOOARCHAEOLOGY
MEGAFAUNA
PLEISTOCENE
HUNTERS-GATHERERS
title_short Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago
title_full Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago
title_fullStr Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago
title_full_unstemmed Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago
title_sort Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Prates, Luciano Raúl
Medina, Matias Eduardo
Perez, Sergio Ivan
author Prates, Luciano Raúl
author_facet Prates, Luciano Raúl
Medina, Matias Eduardo
Perez, Sergio Ivan
author_role author
author2 Medina, Matias Eduardo
Perez, Sergio Ivan
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv ZOOARCHAEOLOGY
MEGAFAUNA
PLEISTOCENE
HUNTERS-GATHERERS
topic ZOOARCHAEOLOGY
MEGAFAUNA
PLEISTOCENE
HUNTERS-GATHERERS
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.1
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv One of the most widely cited objections to hypotheses that defend a central role for humans in late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions in South America has been the assumption that extinct megafauna was a marginal resource in early human economies. Based on accurate chronological frames and faunal quantitative data, we demonstrate that extinct megafauna were principal prey item of early foragers from ca. 13,000 to 11,600 calibrated years before present (cal. years BP), and this fact had likely been obscured by lumping together pre- and post-extinction archaeological faunal assemblages within a single chronological window. We also show that the most exploited extinct taxa were at the apex of the ranking of the Prey Choice Model. After the diversity and abundance of megafauna had already declined severely (ca. 12,500 BP), and especially after they had virtually disappeared (ca. 11,600 BP), the human diet was broadened. This strongly reinforces the idea that humans must be central to the debate on Quaternary extinctions in South America.
Fil: Prates, Luciano Raúl. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Arqueología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina
Fil: Medina, Matias Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Arqueología; Argentina
Fil: Perez, Sergio Ivan. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico Antropologico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina
description One of the most widely cited objections to hypotheses that defend a central role for humans in late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions in South America has been the assumption that extinct megafauna was a marginal resource in early human economies. Based on accurate chronological frames and faunal quantitative data, we demonstrate that extinct megafauna were principal prey item of early foragers from ca. 13,000 to 11,600 calibrated years before present (cal. years BP), and this fact had likely been obscured by lumping together pre- and post-extinction archaeological faunal assemblages within a single chronological window. We also show that the most exploited extinct taxa were at the apex of the ranking of the Prey Choice Model. After the diversity and abundance of megafauna had already declined severely (ca. 12,500 BP), and especially after they had virtually disappeared (ca. 11,600 BP), the human diet was broadened. This strongly reinforces the idea that humans must be central to the debate on Quaternary extinctions in South America.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-10
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/281201
Prates, Luciano Raúl; Medina, Matias Eduardo; Perez, Sergio Ivan; Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago; Science Advances is the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Science Advances; 11; 10-2025; 1-9
2375-2548
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/281201
identifier_str_mv Prates, Luciano Raúl; Medina, Matias Eduardo; Perez, Sergio Ivan; Extinct megafauna dominated human subsistence in southern South America before 11,600 years ago; Science Advances is the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Science Advances; 11; 10-2025; 1-9
2375-2548
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
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info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adx2615
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Science Advances is the American Association for the Advancement of Science
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Science Advances is the American Association for the Advancement of Science
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 12.822162

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