Abstract
The history of the aboriginal peoples of the southern tip of South America is characterized by the cultural development of two major groups: terrestrial hunters and canoe indians. Although these groups lived in contrasting environments they had contact in various zones, thus enjoying a rich cultural and biological exchange. The European colonization process brought about, directly and indirectly, the rapid extinction of these populations. This study evaluates pathological changes in skeletons of Chono Indians as compared to those observed in Fuegian groups. The sample consists of approximately 96 Chono individuals and 38 Fuegians. The study results show a strong correlation between morbidity and factors related to the hunting and gathering way of life, i.e., great physical stress, nutritional deficiency, etc. The Chono remains show a high prevalence of infectious diseases together with a number of osteoarticular disorders. These and other pathological conditions tend to characterize the Chono as a group in crisis -in a biological and cultural sense- at the time of the contact with the Europeans.
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