New parasitological findings for pre-Hispanic camelids.

Paleoparasitological examination provides information of parasite-host associations in the past, shedding light on the geographical origin of some parasites, on the possible dispersal routes and on some of the processes that modelled the parasitic communities. The aim of the present study was to examine parasite remains present in camelid coprolites collected from the archaeological site Alero Destacamento Guardaparque, Patagonia and to discuss the paleoparasitological findings in a biogeographical and paleoecological context. Coprolites were collected from different stratified layers dating from middle to late Holocene, a period covering approximately 7000 years.

Domestication and human demographic history in South America.

Objectives: The early groups of hunter-gatherers who peopled South America faced significant ecological changes in their trophic niche for a relatively short period after the initial peopling. In particular, the incorporation of cultigens during the Holocene led to a wider trophic niche and probably to an increased carrying capacity of the environment. Here, we study the relationship between the incorporation of domestic resources during the Holocene and the demographic dynamics of human populations at a regional scale in South America.

Paleoparasitological results for rodent coprolites from Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.

The aim of this study was to examine the parasite remains present in rodent coprolites collected from the archaeological site Alero Destacamento Guardaparque (ADG) located in the Perito Moreno National Park (Santa Cruz Province, 47 degrees 57'S 72 degrees 05'W). Forty-eight coprolites were obtained from the layers 7, 6 and 5 of ADG, dated at 6,700 +/- 70, 4,900 +/- 70 and 3,440 +/- 70 years BP, respectively. The faecal samples were processed and examined using paleoparasitological procedures.