δ13C and δ15N variations in terrestrial and marine foodwebs of Beagle Channel in the Holocene. Implications for human paleodietary reconstructions

In this article we evaluate the isotopic variability in δ13C and δ15N values of diets among maritime hunter-gatherers of the Beagle Channel (Southern Argentina). A system with two end members –marine and terrestrial resources– is not enough to describe populations with diversified subsistence strate...

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Publicado: 2018
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Acceso en línea:https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_2352409X_v18_n_p696_Kochi
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_2352409X_v18_n_p696_Kochi
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spelling paper:paper_2352409X_v18_n_p696_Kochi2023-06-08T16:35:46Z δ13C and δ15N variations in terrestrial and marine foodwebs of Beagle Channel in the Holocene. Implications for human paleodietary reconstructions Hunter-gatherers Isotopic ecology Paleodiet Patagonia Tierra del Fuego In this article we evaluate the isotopic variability in δ13C and δ15N values of diets among maritime hunter-gatherers of the Beagle Channel (Southern Argentina). A system with two end members –marine and terrestrial resources– is not enough to describe populations with diversified subsistence strategies. Moreover, these marine hunter-gatherers are characterized as highly mobile groups whose foraging ranges comprised not only nearshore areas, but also offshore spaces. As a first step to distinguish the diversity of prey choices during the Late Holocene, and to improve the accuracy of paleodietary interpretations, we conducted stable isotope analyses on zooarchaeological collections and modern samples of shellfish and plants. We observed that δ13C and δ15N values of aquatic animals are more clustered than expected in comparison to modern ecological parameters. Terrestrial prey, such as the guanaco, showed considerable isotopic dispersion in both carbon and nitrogen. While zooarchaeological studies have identified foraging activities in offshore spaces, stable isotope analyses should use different criteria to characterize long-term dietary patterns. With this local isotopic frame of reference, we re-examined δ13Ccollagen and δ15Ncollagen measurements of seven adult individuals from the Beagle Channel. Most individuals had marine diets complemented with resources more depleted in 13C and 15N than aquatic prey. While previous interpretations stated that the complementary staple was terrestrial protein, we suggest consumption of shellfish as another possibility. Finally, plants should be reconsidered as a source depleted both in 13C and 15N for mixing models, when typically underestimated in paleodiets from subpolar environments. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd 2018 https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_2352409X_v18_n_p696_Kochi http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_2352409X_v18_n_p696_Kochi
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic Hunter-gatherers
Isotopic ecology
Paleodiet
Patagonia
Tierra del Fuego
spellingShingle Hunter-gatherers
Isotopic ecology
Paleodiet
Patagonia
Tierra del Fuego
δ13C and δ15N variations in terrestrial and marine foodwebs of Beagle Channel in the Holocene. Implications for human paleodietary reconstructions
topic_facet Hunter-gatherers
Isotopic ecology
Paleodiet
Patagonia
Tierra del Fuego
description In this article we evaluate the isotopic variability in δ13C and δ15N values of diets among maritime hunter-gatherers of the Beagle Channel (Southern Argentina). A system with two end members –marine and terrestrial resources– is not enough to describe populations with diversified subsistence strategies. Moreover, these marine hunter-gatherers are characterized as highly mobile groups whose foraging ranges comprised not only nearshore areas, but also offshore spaces. As a first step to distinguish the diversity of prey choices during the Late Holocene, and to improve the accuracy of paleodietary interpretations, we conducted stable isotope analyses on zooarchaeological collections and modern samples of shellfish and plants. We observed that δ13C and δ15N values of aquatic animals are more clustered than expected in comparison to modern ecological parameters. Terrestrial prey, such as the guanaco, showed considerable isotopic dispersion in both carbon and nitrogen. While zooarchaeological studies have identified foraging activities in offshore spaces, stable isotope analyses should use different criteria to characterize long-term dietary patterns. With this local isotopic frame of reference, we re-examined δ13Ccollagen and δ15Ncollagen measurements of seven adult individuals from the Beagle Channel. Most individuals had marine diets complemented with resources more depleted in 13C and 15N than aquatic prey. While previous interpretations stated that the complementary staple was terrestrial protein, we suggest consumption of shellfish as another possibility. Finally, plants should be reconsidered as a source depleted both in 13C and 15N for mixing models, when typically underestimated in paleodiets from subpolar environments. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd
title δ13C and δ15N variations in terrestrial and marine foodwebs of Beagle Channel in the Holocene. Implications for human paleodietary reconstructions
title_short δ13C and δ15N variations in terrestrial and marine foodwebs of Beagle Channel in the Holocene. Implications for human paleodietary reconstructions
title_full δ13C and δ15N variations in terrestrial and marine foodwebs of Beagle Channel in the Holocene. Implications for human paleodietary reconstructions
title_fullStr δ13C and δ15N variations in terrestrial and marine foodwebs of Beagle Channel in the Holocene. Implications for human paleodietary reconstructions
title_full_unstemmed δ13C and δ15N variations in terrestrial and marine foodwebs of Beagle Channel in the Holocene. Implications for human paleodietary reconstructions
title_sort δ13c and δ15n variations in terrestrial and marine foodwebs of beagle channel in the holocene. implications for human paleodietary reconstructions
publishDate 2018
url https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_2352409X_v18_n_p696_Kochi
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_2352409X_v18_n_p696_Kochi
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