Variations in the isotopic niche of South American camelids. A vision from applied zooarchaeology

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to explore temporal changes in the ecological niches of different species of camelids by establishing their isotopic niches. Camelids were the main animal resource for most human populations that inhabited the South American continent in the past. The purpose is to explore if the current populations of camelids have different isotopic niches compared to the archaeological ones in Argentina. The total number of samples analyzed was 584, distributed homogeneously among different geographical regions of Argentina -Northwestern, Central and South-. The results allowed us to identify patterns of variation in different species of South American camelids. The δ13C values show a reduction in the consumption of C4 plants from North to South, in accordance with the natural availability of vegetation with these photosynthetic pathways. On the other hand, δ15N values do not show a great difference along the latitudinal gradient, although the southern region recorded a wider range of values. In turn, modifications in the isotopic niches of the different regions are observed when comparing the modern assemblages with the archaeological ones, either in size and amplitude or in the overlapping and displacement of the isotopic ellipses. In this regard, this chapter provides novel information on geographic and temporal baselines for the different camelid species of Argentina. We propose that isotopic niches, within the framework of applied zooarchaeology, are a powerful tool to explore the interaction between human groups and animal species through time.