Abstract
Guanacos (Lama guanicoe) are large ungulates that have been valued by human populations in South America since the Late Pleistocene. Even though they were very abundant until the end of the 19th century (before the high deforestation rate of the last decades), guanacos have nearly disappeared in the Gran Chaco ecoregion, with relicts and isolated populations surviving in some areas, such as the shrubland area near the saline depressions of Córdoba province, Argentina. In this report, we present the first data from a locally endangered guanaco wild population, through the study of skeletal remains recovered in La Providencia ranch. Our results showed that most of the elements belonged to adults aged between 36 and 96 months; sex evaluation showed similar numbers of males and females. Statistical analysis of the body size of modern samples from Córdoba demonstrated that guanacos from the Chaco had large dimensions and presented lower size variability than the modern and archaeological specimens in our database. Moreover, they exhibited dimensions similar to those of modern guanacos from Patagonia and San Juan, and to archaeological specimens from Ongamira and Cerro Colorado, although further genetic studies are needed to corroborate a possible phylogenetic relationship. Finally, we used archaeozoological techniques to provide a first characterization of a relict guanaco population from the Chaco ecoregion, demonstrating its value to the study of modern skeletal remains and species conservation biology.
Highlights
According to Raedeke’s [1] estimations, about 50 million guanacos (Lama guanicoe) would have lived in South America during pre-Hispanic times
Archaeological data from Argentina showed that these ungulates have been valued economically and ideologically by human populations in the Late Pleistocene and throughout the Holocene [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]
Lama guanicoe remains from the Chaco ecoregion (Cordoba, Argentina) of Cordoba, an area of the Gran Chaco ecoregion, guanacos would have played an important role in the lives of indigenous people [12,13,14,15,16]
Summary
According to Raedeke’s [1] estimations, about 50 million guanacos (Lama guanicoe) would have lived in South America during pre-Hispanic times. Archaeological data from Argentina showed that these ungulates have been valued economically and ideologically by human populations in the Late Pleistocene and throughout the Holocene [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]. Lama guanicoe remains from the Chaco ecoregion (Cordoba, Argentina) of Cordoba, an area of the Gran Chaco ecoregion, guanacos would have played an important role in the lives of indigenous people [12,13,14,15,16]. At the beginning of the 20th century, guanaco populations surviving in Cordoba mountain ranges were valued for their meat and skin; they were hunted viciously for sport shooting ([21] p.340-342). The few remaining guanacos are isolated in the shrublands near the saline depressions [22]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
