Ancient wetlands in the arid environments of Central Western Argentina: a palaeoecological perspective based on archaeological small mammal remains

Abstract

The present study analyzes small mammal bone and tooth accumulations recovered in three open-air archaeological sites from the drylands of Northern Mendoza (Argentina), in the northern sector of Central Western Argentina. The sites, dated to the last two millennia (~0.3–2.1 ky BP), are located on the margins of a now-extinct swamp that formed a wetland environment in connection with other former lacustrine landscapes that were more widespread in the past. The taxonomic structure of the archaeological assemblages differs from modern small mammal assemblages from the area. Holochilus lagigliai, a probably recently extinct species, and Cavia aperea, a recently extirpated species, were recorded. These two species are strongly connected to wetland environments, but rare today, as the environment is more arid and in the context of urban development. A widespread decline in the diversity of modern small mammal assemblages was observed in comparison with archaeological ones, probably related to a scenario of greater environmental heterogeneity during the late Holocene than in the present.