Feeding habits of a latest Pleistocene megamammal community: A synecological perspective by stable isotopes analysis

Abstract

The coexistence and interaction between the Pleistocene megamammals and the first human groups have been mainly addressed extrinsically, without considering the megafauna's paleoecology. This study used the stable carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of carbonate fraction of well-preserved fossils to deepen the knowledge of these latest megamammals. We focus on an Argentine Pampas area, where they are concentrated archaeological and paleontological contexts with radiocarbon ages for the final Pleistocene. We employ Bayesian mixing models, built through quantitative diet information for modern analogs, a novel methodological approximation for the study area. The results indicate that the megamammals of the final Pleistocene Pampas were in equilibrium with the ecosystem, showing signs of resource natural cycles. Those rhythms suppose differential distribution and availability of these animals.