Southeastern South America Research Articles

Compound Events in South America Using the CORDEX‐CORE Ensemble: Current Climate Conditions and Future Projections in a Global Warming Scenario

AbstractClimate hazards associated with compound events (CEs) have lately received increasing attention over South America (SA) due to their potential risks and amplification of impacts. This work addressed the evaluation of different temperature‐ and precipitation‐based CE in SA considering the CORDEX‐CORE ensemble of regional climate models (RCMs) and their driving earth system models (ESMs) in the reference period 1981–2010 and the late 21st century (2070–2099), for the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 2.6 and 8.5 scenarios. The assessment focused on model performance for the individual events—heatwaves (HWs), Extreme rainfall (ER) days, and dry‐spells (DSs)—and their compound occurrence in terms of climatological frequency and duration. The spatial patterns of individual events were adequately reproduced by the RCMs, evidencing general overestimations in extreme precipitation intensities. In terms of CE, the frequencies of coincident HWs and DSs (sequential DSs and ER) were remarkable over central‐eastern Brazil and southern SA (southeastern SA). The main features of CE were generally well‐simulated by the RCMs, although they presented regional differences such as an underestimation of the maximum frequencies of these two CE in northeastern Brazil and southeastern SA, respectively. The high‐resolution information was generally in line with the larger‐scale driving ESMs. The climate change signal analysis generally showed robust future increases in CE frequency and duration in different areas of SA, as for coincident HWs and DSs (sequential DSs and ER) over northern SA and southern Brazil (southeastern SA). This was mostly consistent among the RCMs ensemble and notably strengthened in the worst‐case scenario (RCP 8.5).

A remarkable new species of Hippeastrum (Amaryllidaceae) from the Serra da Mantiqueira, Southeastern Brazil

Serra da Mantiqueira is the most important mountain range in eastern South America, known for its high levels of species richness and endemism. A new species of Amaryllidaceae endemic to the region was recently identified, described and illustrated herein. It can be recognized by its rupicolous habit, large bulbs, reaching 12 cm in diameter, annual, lorate leaves, white flowers with pink striations and perigonal tube up to 1.5 cm long. Comments on its habitat, conservation status, phenology data, photographs and illustrations are provided, as well as comparison with the most morphologically similar species. Known by only a single population, exposed to several types of threats and with limited guarantee of protection, Hippeastrum abatinguara is considered Critically Endangered. Additionally, a key to the species of Hippeastrum occurring in the Serra da Mantiqueira is presented, accompanied by photographs of these species in their natural habitats.

Genomic evidence for ancient human migration routes along South America's Atlantic coast.

An increasing body of archaeological and genomic evidence has hinted at a complex settlement process of the Americas by humans. This is especially true for South America, where unexpected ancestral signals have raised perplexing scenarios for the early migrations into different regions of the continent. Here, we present ancient human genomes from the archaeologically rich Northeast Brazil and compare them to ancient and present-day genomic data. We find a distinct relationship between ancient genomes from Northeast Brazil, Lagoa Santa, Uruguay and Panama, representing evidence for ancient migration routes along South America's Atlantic coast. To further add to the existing complexity, we also detect greater Denisovan than Neanderthal ancestry in ancient Uruguay and Panama individuals. Moreover, we find a strong Australasian signal in an ancient genome from Panama. This work sheds light on the deep demographic history of eastern South America and presents a starting point for future fine-scale investigations on the regional level.

The use of microplastics as a reliable chronological marker of the Anthropocene onset in Southeastern South America

Microplastics (MPs) represent an emergent contamination marker. For this reason, we analyzed the vertical distribution of MPs in six sediment cores retrieved from the Patos-Mirim System, the world's largest coastal lagoonal system. The sediment cores span from mid Holocene to present times according to both radiocarbon and lead dating and are located close to both urban/industrial and agricultural regions. We identified a basal pre-disturbance MP-free zone in all cores and an uppermost contaminated 70-cm-zone, where a general increasing trend in MPs content resembling the human anthropization process was recorded. The predominant format of MPs was fiber, followed by fragments. The most commonly identified polymers were rayon, PVC, acrylate, polycarbonate and cellophane. Urban/industrial and agricultural activities were shown as clear sources of MPs, leading to comparable MPs concentration values in the sediment cores. Thus, MPs are collectively a reliable indicator of the Anthropocene onset, and in the Patos-Mirim System the most appropriate chronology can be assigned to the beginning of 1970s, matching the intensification of anthropogenic activities in the area.

Interconnected marine habitats form a single continental-scale reef system in South America

Large gaps in reef distribution may hinder the dispersal of marine organisms, interrupting processes vital to the maintenance of biodiversity. Here we show the presence and location of extensive reef habitats on the continental shelf between the Amazon Reef System (ARS) and the Eastern Brazilian Reef System (ERS), two reef complexes off eastern South America. Formations located 20–50 m deep include both biogenic and geogenic structures. The presence of diverse reef assemblages suggests the widespread occurrence of rocky substrates below 50 m. These habitats represent an expansion of both the ARS and ERS and the closure of the only remaining large-scale gap (~ 1000 km) among West Atlantic reef environments. This indicates that the SW Atlantic harbors a single, yet heterogeneous, reef system that stretches for about 4000 km, and thus, represents one of the largest semi-continuous tropical marine ecosystems in the world.

Additional Records for Deepening the Knowledge of Fell Points from Southeastern South America

ABSTRACT The research advances in Fell points show significant morpho-technological and dimensional variations. We provide additional data on unreported specimens coming from three countries located in southeastern South America. Dealing with the repairing of the stems, we discuss a topic barely addressed in this iconic PaleoAmerican artifact. These issues give us a greater depth of understanding of the life histories of the early lithic assemblages employed by the hunter-gatherers living during the last millennium of the Pleistocene in this part of the world.

Observational study of the South American low‐level jet during the SALLJEX

AbstractThe South American low‐level jet (SALLJ) is a narrow northerly wind speed maximum present just above the boundary layer. It is an important component of the tropical–extratropical heat and moisture exchange in South America and can favour deep moist convection in southeastern South America. The main objective of this study is to analyse the SALLJ characteristics at 21 upper‐air stations deployed between the Tropics and the subtropics from just east of the Andes to the eastern plains during the SALLJ Experiment (SALLJEX). The greatest wind speed occurs between 300 and 2,000 m AGL between 0300 and 1200 UTC, mainly in connection with greater northerly winds during an anticlockwise rotation of the wind from sunset to sunrise, thus suggesting the important role of the inertial oscillation in the wind's diurnal cycle. The spatial variation of the LLJ throughout the SALLJEX network shows a weakening of the maximum wind speed from stations near the Andes towards the Plains suggesting the presence of the LLJ core just east of the Andes around Santa Cruz de la Sierra's latitude (17°48′S). Weak, moderate, and strong SALLJ categories defined from a local maximum northerly wind speed threshold at each station are defined to analyse the relationship between the SALLJ intensity and the thermodynamic properties of the lower layers of the atmosphere. Strong SALLJs are frequently observed at night‐time, while weak SALLJs are likely to occur at any time of the day. Strong cases have deeper and less stable nocturnal boundary layers, which could be due to the SALLJ warm advection near the time of wind speed maximum (0600 UTC). Deeper convective boundary layers and higher low‐level temperatures observed at 1800 UTC prior to strong nocturnal SALLJs can potentially lead to larger amplitudes of inertial oscillation and contribute to generating stronger SALLJs.

Correlations among large igneous provinces related to the West Gondwana breakup: A geochemical database reappraisal of Early Cretaceous plumbing systems

The opening and spreading of the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and South America evolved during the Early Cretaceous and were preceded by dramatic tholeiitic (mafic) magmatism and minor silicic and alkaline volcanism. These features are presently recognized from the equatorial regions of Brazil and Africa to the Falklands and South Africa. In southeastern South America, continental flood basalts and related plumbing systems constitute the Paraná Magmatic Province (PMP), whose African counterpart is the Etendeka Magmatic Province (EMP). In northeastern Brazil, dike swarms and sill complexes compose the Equatorial Atlantic Magmatic Province (EQUAMP). As a common feature, these provinces are chemically represented by two prevalent magma types: (1) tholeiitic basalts and basaltic andesites with low Ti (TiO2 < ∼2 wt.%), also including transitional Ti tholeiites with TiO2 ∼ 2.7–1.7 wt.%, and low incompatible element contents. This type is predominantly found in the southern PMP and EMP, with minor occurrences in the EQUAMP. (2) Tholeiitic basalts and basaltic andesites with high Ti (TiO2 > ∼2 wt.%) and incompatible element contents. High Ti tholeiites are relevant in the northern PMP and EMP, and dominant in EQUAMP. Evolved rocks (SiO2 = 57–65 wt.%) interpreted as byproducts of assimilation and/or fractional crystallization (AFC) processes from high Ti tholeiitic magmas, are scarce (but present) in all three provinces. An accurate analysis of multivariable databases collected from the literature for dikes and sills, including major and trace element and radiogenic isotope data, reveals close similarities in their geochemical signatures. In a paleogeographic reconstruction of West Gondwana, the intrusive remnants of the PMP, EMP and EQUAMP are spread over an area of nearly 10 × 106 km2, forming perhaps the most extensive set of plumbing systems on Earth, with a relatively consistent chronology based on a vast collection of K–Ar and 40Ar/39Ar data available in the literature. This work provides the first comprehensive data comparison to support the existence of what may have been a single intercontinental-scale magmatic province of West Gondwana.

Microplastic pollution in sediments of tropical shallow lakes

Forty-eight tropical shallow lakes (depth ≤ 4 m) across a climatic gradient were assessed for microplastic (MPs; <5 mm) pollution based on MPs concentrations in archive samples from lake shore sediments. The MPs were classified by type (fragments or fibres), colour (yellow, black, red, green, blue, white, and transparent), size (0.55 to 4.93 mm), and polymer (polyester, polyethylene, chlorinated polyethylene, and polyamide). Sediments were predominantly medium sand, and all samples (144) contained MPs, consisting of 24 % fragments (6.3 ± 11.3 MPs·300 g−1) and 76 % fibres (21.25 ± 12.7 MPs·300 g−1). The lake climate (humid, transitional, or semi-arid), type of surrounding land use (urban, semi-arid, or rural), and distance from the shoreline (0, 5 or 10 m) did not explain the differences in MPs concentrations, partially refuting the initial hypothesis. The only significant difference was between the sample medians for the number of fragments based on the region (H = 7.586; p = 0.0481). The number of fragments in the lakes in the humid region was greater than that in the semi-arid region (p < 0.05). Poor sanitation, sewage effluents, and solid wastes reaching and accumulating in the lakes may be the primary and transversal conditioning factors for this small difference among diverse environments. Freshwater lakes are investigated in all continents, and the present study contributes to the first record of MPs in shallow lake sediments in eastern South America. The 48 shallow lakes assessed showed a relatively low concentration of MPs compared to other lake contaminants reported in the international literature. This information coincides with public policies issued, regarding the control and reduction of plastics and MPs in Brazil, and the study region.

Climatology of heatwaves in South America identified through ERA5 reanalysis data

AbstractThe rise in the Earth's global average surface temperature and the increase of extreme weather events have been the focus of scientific discussion in the last decades. Extreme heat combined with other environmental extremes, like high concentrations of air pollution, may induce health problems—especially in socioeconomically vulnerable populations. Spring in South America requires particular attention due to its association with hot, dry weather and air pollution in most parts of the continent. This paper intends to better comprehend the behaviour of heatwaves during the austral winter–spring transition. We propose identifying the spatial coverage, frequency and intensity of heatwaves in homogeneous areas of maximum air temperature near the surface (Tmax). We employed cluster analyses during the period between July and October for 41 years (1979–2019) through the ERA5 reanalysis. Homogeneous Tmax areas in South America were defined by cluster analyses that indicated three homogeneous Tmax regions, as follows: a larger area of the continent including the tropical region (Area 1), eastern and southeastern South America (Area 2) and southernmost and steep areas in the Andes (Area 3). The heatwave events identified via ERA5 reanalysis were classified according to their intensity (intense, moderate and weak events). Spatial frequency and trend analyses were also performed regarding the intensity and persistence of heatwave episodes. These methods allowed the identification of the behavioural aspect of heatwaves spanning the last four decades. The Mann–Kendall statistical test (MK) was applied in order to analyse the heatwave trend with a statistical significance level of 5%. A total of 191 heatwave episodes were identified. Of this total, 47.12, 35.60 and 17.28% of episodes occurred in Areas 2, 3 and 1, respectively. The hotter area extending from northeast to southwest in central South America stood out by its largest frequencies of intense heatwave episodes. Across the continent there was a significant increase in the intensity and persistence of heatwaves over the period of 1979 through to 2019.

Civic energy and the traditions of the idea of civil society: Dilemmas, frames and discussions

Can the idea of civil society be helpful in the analysis of civic energy? What does the term ‘civil energy society’ mean? How can the tradition of civil society in social sciences translate into the theory and practice of grassroots energy initiatives? The aim of this article is to organise the concepts and translate the history of the idea of civil society into the contemporary phenomenon of civic energy. On one hand, the authors point to the potential of the old tradition of civil society (Hegel, Gramsci, the tradition of democratic opposition movements in Eastern Europe and South America) for energy research. On the other, they pose a number of questions and indicate theoretical and political dilemmas that the civil energy sector must face: what is the attitude towards the state; what are or can relationships with the market be; are these only local initiatives closed within the borders of the nation state or can we speak of a supranational global civil energy society? The article encourages a serious debate between academics and community energy practitioners.

A fully calibrated and updated mid-Holocene climate reconstruction for Eastern South America

Investigating the extent and climate implications of the mid-Holocene (MH - around 6000 years ago) is essential in better understanding the uncertainties associated with the ongoing and future projections of global warming. South America (SA) contains the biome with the largest biodiversity in the world, its population exceeds 400 million people, and its economy is mainly agricultural. Thus, studies involving South America's climate variability have become a subject of significant importance over the years. Paleoclimate archives provide unique indirect measurements, helping us to characterize past climates. However, the derived radiometric ages from several paleoarchives in SA published before the 2000s have not yet been calibrated, which represents a large source of uncertainty. In this article, we present a climate reconstruction for eastern SA during the MH with fully calibrated age models. We compiled 173 paleoclimate records, where 50 of them were calibrated in this study using Bayesian methods. Through this multiproxy approach and the elaboration of a new homogeneous quality index for proxies, our novel climate reconstruction sheds new light on the regional climate of SA climate during MH. All high quality (higher than 1) paleoarchives agree at regional scale. Compiled paleodata confirms reduced rainfall in Amazonia and a warmer and drier Southern SA, indicating an overall weakening of the South American Summer Monsoon during the MH. North East Brazil coast show higher than present moisture during the MH, while the border between Northeast Brazil and Southern SA shows divergent behavior, pointing to a local erratic rainfall regime with inputs of higher than present moisture conditions, most likely caused by changes in precipitation over the South Atlantic Convergence Zone, and a weaker than present South Atlantic Subtropical High during MH.

Coupled Oceanic and Atmospheric Controls of Deglacial Southeastern South America Precipitation and Western South Atlantic Productivity

Various mechanisms were proposed as substantial drivers of (sub)tropical South American hydroclimate changes during the last deglaciation. However, the interpretation of past precipitation records from the regions affected by the South American Summer Monsoon, the dominant hydroclimatic system in (sub)tropical South America, still insufficiently consider feedbacks between oceanic and atmospheric processes evident in modern observational data. Here, we evaluate ocean-atmosphere feedbacks active in the region from 19 to 4 ka based on a multi-proxy record comprising lipid biomarker, bulk sediment elemental composition and foraminiferal geochemistry from a sediment core retrieved from the tropical western South Atlantic offshore eastern Brazil at ~22°S. Our proxy data together with existing paleoclimate records show that the consideration of large scale synoptic climatic features across South America is crucial for understanding the past spatio-temporal rainfall variability, especially during the last deglaciation. While the paleohydrological data from our study site show relatively stable precipitation across the deglaciation in the core region of the South Atlantic Convergence Zone, distinct hydroclimatic gradients developed across the continent during Heinrich Stadial 1, which climaxed at ~16 ka. By then, the prevalent atmospheric and oceanic configuration caused more frequent extreme climatic events associated with positive rainfall in the northern portion of eastern South America and in the southeastern portion of the continent. These climatic extremes resulted from substantial warming of the sub(tropical) western South Atlantic sea surface that fostered oceanic moisture transport towards the continent and the reconfiguration of quasi-stationary atmospheric patterns. We further find that enhanced continental precipitation in combination with low glacial sea level strongly impacted marine ecosystems via enhanced terrigenous organic matter input in line with augmented nutrient release to the ocean. Extreme rainfall events similar to those that occurred during Heinrich Stadial 1 are likely to recur in South America as a consequence of global warming, because the projected reduction of the intra-hemispheric temperature gradient may lead to the development of atmospheric patterns similar to those in force during Heinrich Stadial 1.

Phylogenomic loci define the generic boundaries of Gochnatieae and improve resolution at the species level in Moquiniastrum (Compositae)

Understanding the evolution of the tribe Gochnatieae (Compositae) has been the subject of considerable effort in the past decade. This is due to the key position of this tribe in the phylogeny of the sunflower family and the corresponding implications for biogeographic and morphological evolution of Compositae. Previous studies have confirmed the monophyly of this tribe as well as most of the genera that belong to it. However, phylogenetic resolution of Gochnatieae at both the genus- and species-level has remained poor. A subset of new phylogenomic loci used in this study has proven effective and has improved phylogenetic resolution in this group. The results of this work demonstrate Gochnatieae is a well-supported clade comprised of nine genera (Anastraphia, Cnicothamnus, Cyclolepis, Gochnatia, Moquiniastrum, Nahuatlea, Pentaphorus, Richterago, Tehuasca). One recently described genus, Vickia, was not included in this study; but its placement in Gochnatieae as a tenth genus in the tribe is well-justified. The monospecific Cyclolepis, which had been circumscribed within the tribe since its inception but was subsequently removed and designated as incertae sedis since 2014, is also shown to belong to Gochnatieae. We confirmed the monophyletic Moquiniastrum with two well-supported subclades. Ancestral area reconstruction analyses show that Gochnatieae originated in Eastern South America about 53 my. Apparently, except for Cyclolepis and Richterago, the ancestors of the other genera of Gochnatieae originated about 44 my from an area that now corresponds to the central Andes. The presence of the genera in the Chaco phytogeographic province, central Chile, and Mexico-United States-Caribbean is a result of dispersal from the central Andes. The ancestral distribution of Moquiniastrum corresponds to a large area comprising Eastern South America and the current central Andes, about 32 my. Ancestral character state reconstruction that included four characters indicates several states associated with complex plant reproductive biology such as gynodioecy, gynomonoecy, and polygamodioecy are derived in Gochnatieae as are heterogamous capitula (in Moquiniastrum and Richterago), dimorphic and subdimorphic corollas (in Cnicothamnus, Moquiniastrum, and Richterago), and the presence of marginal female corollas (in Moquiniastrum and Richterago). Within Moquiniastrum, two subclades (Densicephalum and Polymorphum) exhibit divergent patterns of trait evolution associated with these reproductive characters which suggests this genus can serve as a model to understand the sexual system evolution in plants.

Diversity and systematics ofTrichomycterusValenciennes 1832 (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) in the Rio Doce Basin: iterating DNA, phylogeny and classical taxonomy

AbstractThe catfish genus Trichomycterus is a recognized taxonomic bottleneck in Neotropical ichthyology. The hitherto poorly-known diversity of Trichomycterus in the Rio Doce Basin, Brazil, is here investigated using an iterative approach based on morphology and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence data. Specimens from the entire Rio Doce Drainage and adjacent basins are analysed, including from type localities. Iteration of different sources of data, dense sampling and taxonomic representation, plus information on relevant type specimens allows a clear view of the diversity, relationships and nomenclature of Trichomycterus in the Rio Doce Basin. Results indicate the presence of at least 14 species in the basin, seven of which are new. A lectotype is designated for Trichomycterus immaculatus and the type locality is accordingly restricted to the Rio São Mateus, a satellite basin north of the Rio Doce. Geographic distributions are mapped for all recognized species. The wide distributions of some species (e.g. Trichomycterus alternatus, T. immaculatus) are explained against information on geomorphological processes and comparative information on their biology. A Bayesian phylogenetic analysis shows that a large portion of the assemblage of Trichomycterus in the Rio Doce forms a clade, a pattern relevant to understanding the evolution of the genus in eastern South America.

The Amazon and La Plata River Basins as Moisture Sources of South America: Climatology and Intraseasonal Variability

AbstractLand‐atmosphere interactions are critical for precipitation (PPT) over South America where terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) constitutes a significant fraction of moisture for rainfall over the ecologically and socio‐economically vital Amazon (AMZ) and La Plata (LPB) river basins. We quantify the contribution of ET from AMZ and LPB to PPT over the continent with a focus on the intraseasonal time scale. Using numerical water tracers embedded in the Weather Research and Forecasting model we track the moisture originating from the two basins. Our findings indicate that approximately 40% of annual rainfall over the eastern foothills of the Andes originates as AMZ ET, and nearly 30% of rainfall over northern Argentina originates as LPB ET. Analysis of moisture transport during both phases of the dominant intraseasonal oscillation pattern over South America reveals an intraseasonal “sloshing” of LPB moisture between the South Atlantic convergence zone (SACZ) and southeastern South America (SESA) regions. AMZ and LPB each supply approximately 6% of moisture for SACZ PPT during periods of intraseasonal enhancement (positive anomalies), highlighting the importance of moisture from the Atlantic Ocean. For the SESA region, LPB supplies 26% of the moisture for PPT during periods of intraseasonal enhancement while AMZ supplies 5%.

Drainage network evolution and dicide retreat along a passive margin: the permanence of disequilibrium under unfavorable natural conditions in eastern south america

ABSTRACT Passive margins typically present escarpments that separate high relief coastal draining catchments from lower-relief inland ones. Widespread drainage reorganization processes in these areas commonly lead to drainage divide retreat inland. This study examines how unfavorable natural factors—long distance from the regional base level, dry climate, and resistant basement lithology—interfere in the processes of inland advance of coastal catchments. Therefore, morphological evidence of drainage reorganization was identified within the northern Serra do Espinhaço Mountain range, and Gilbert’s metrics and χ values were calculated. Thisrange forms a significant drainage divide along South America's passive margin, located hundreds of kilometers inland. It is also characterized by erosion-resistant quartzites substratum and currently experiences a semiarid climate. Our results demonstrate that while the northern Serra do Espinhaço is not a typical passive margin escarpment, it behaves like one since this mountain range acts as a divider between rivers that drain directly into the Atlantic and rivers draining westwards towards the continent's interior. This significant drainage divide retreats inland, driven by ocean draining rivers headward erosion through captures despite adverse geographical location and geological conditions. Divide retreat is ongoing along South America's passive margin, and this process has not yet reached equilibrium.

New Insights into the South American Low-Level Jet from RELAMPAGO Observations

AbstractThe Remote sensing of Electrification, Lightning, And Mesoscale/microscale Processes with Adaptive Ground Observations (RELAMPAGO) campaign produced unparalleled observations of the South American low-level jet (SALLJ) in central Argentina with high temporal observations located in the path of the jet and upstream of rapidly growing convection. The vertical and temporal structure of the jet is characterized using 3-hourly soundings launched at two fixed sites near the Sierras de Córdoba (SDC), along with high-resolution reanalysis data. Objective SALLJ identification criteria are applied to each sounding to determine the presence, timing, and vertical characteristics of the jet. The observations largely confirm prior results showing that SALLJs most frequently come from the north, occur overnight, and peak in the low levels, though SALLJs notably peaked higher near the end of longer-duration events during RELAMPAGO. This study categorizes SALLJs into shorter-duration events with jet cores peaking overnight in the low levels and longer 5–6-day events with elevated jets near the end of the period that lack a clear diurnal cycle. Evidence of both boundary layer processes and large-scale forcing were observed during shorter-duration events, whereas synoptic forcing dominated the longer 5–6-day events. The highest amounts of moisture and larger convective coverage east of the SDC occurred near the end of the 5–6-day SALLJ events.Significance StatementThe South American low-level jet (SALLJ) is an area of enhanced northerly winds that likely contributes to long-lived, widespread thunderstorms in Southeastern South America (SESA). This study uses observations from a recent SESA field project to improve understanding of the variability of the SALLJ and the underlying processes. We related jet occurrence to upper-level environmental patterns and differences in the progression speed of those patterns to varying durations of the jet. Longer-duration jets were more elevated, transported moisture southward from the Amazon, and coincided with the most widespread storms. These findings enable future research to study the role of the SALLJ in the life cycle of storms in detail, leading to improved storm prediction in SESA.

Fell points from Merín Lagoon, Uruguay: new data and their relevance to the peopling of south-eastern South America

The dating and routes by which humans colonised South America continue to be debated. Recent research in Uruguay has yielded new Palaeoindian lithic finds from the southern shores of the coastal Merín Lagoon. The author's analysis of a group of Fell points—comparable to other regional examples—shows that this widespread artefact was produced using locally available materials and that they were repeatedly resharpened and repaired until no longer functional. The finds from the Merín Lagoon permit consideration of changing sea levels and their influence on colonisation routes, resource exploitation and archaeological preservation. The Atlantic coastline may have been one possible route of entry for early colonisers of South America.

Gender Norms and Gender Equality in Full-Time Employment and Health: A 97-Country Analysis of the World Values Survey.

Gender Norms and Gender Equality in Full-Time Employment and Health: A 97-Country Analysis of the World Values Survey.