Abstract
We present the structure of the non-volant small mammal assemblages for five paleontological sequences from the Holocene located in the Chubut river basin. With the obtained information, an environmental hypothesis is proposed for the last thousands of years in central Patagonia. Thirteen radiocarbon dates were made with conventional methods. Among the five sequences, 12.644 individuals (MNI) were counted. Altogether, at least 18 small mammal taxa were recorded. The study of the deposits allowed us to infer that from 5.5 ka to 4.0 ka the region was covered by Patagonian steppe environments. Starting at 4.0 ka, especially in the lower valley of the Chubut river, the influence of the Monte environments begins to be noticed, alternating cold and humid conditions with warmer and drier conditions like the current ones. The small mammals suggest the existence of two main trends during the last 5.0 ka. For most of the temporal segment, we documented maintenance of the taxonomic structure (quantitative and qualitative) with subtle changes in the abundances of some species. Towards the last 0.15 ka, a deeper modification of the assemblages becomes evident, marked both by local disappearances and by marked increases or decreases of some species. The available evidence identifies anthropic activities as the main responsible for these changes.
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