Vegetation changes and human occupation in the Patagonian steppe, Argentina, during the late Holocene |
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Authors: | Maria Eugenia De Porras Maria Virginia Mancini Aldo Raul Prieto |
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Institution: | (1) Laboratorio de Paleoecología y Palinología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3250, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina;(2) CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Avda. Rivadavia 1917, (C1033AAJ), Buenos Aires, Argentina |
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Abstract: | Vegetation changes during the late Holocene are interpreted from four fossil pollen sequences from two caves at the Los Toldos
archaeological locality, Santa Cruz province, Argentina. Taphonomic processes are particularly taken into account in order
to analyze the effects on the fossil pollen records of biotic factors such as human occupation and animals, and abiotic ones
such as volcanic ash fall. Fossil pollen assemblages are interpreted using local modern pollen data. The main vegetation change
occurred at ca. 3750 uncal b.p., when a shrub steppe of Asteraceae subf. Asteroideae with Schinus, Ephedra frustillata and a high proportion of grasses was replaced by a shrub steppe of Colliguaja integerrima and Asteraceae subf. Asteroideae. This change is synchronous with an archaeological record change and could be related either
to moderate climatic variations or the effects of ash fall on the environment. Plant communities similar to the present-day
ones were established in the Los Toldos area from ca. 3750 uncal b.p. |
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Keywords: | Patagonia Late Holocene Pollen Caves Taphonomy Human occupation |
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