Ancient dog mitogenomes support the dual dispersal of dogs and agriculture into South America.

Archaeological and palaeogenomic data show that dogs were the only domestic animals introduced during the early peopling of the Americas. Hunter-gatherer groups spread quickly towards the south of the continent, but it is unclear when dogs reached Central and South America. To address this issue, we generated and analysed 70 complete mitochondrial genomes from archaeological and modern dogs ranging from Central Mexico to Central Chile and Argentina, revealing the dynamics of dog populations.

Multi-proxy analysis of El Olivar camelids (1,090-1,440 cal AD): Evaluating the presence of llamas (Lama glama, Linnaeus 1758) in the Semiarid North of Chile before the arrival of the Inca.

To evaluate the presence of domesticated camelids in the Semiarid North of Chile (29°S) before the arrival of the Inca, we utilized a multidisciplinary approach to analyze 57 South American camelids that were part of the funerary contexts of the El Olivar site, dated between 1,155 and 1,538 cal AD and associated with the Diaguita Culture. The analyses included osteometric data, age profiles, sex estimation, genetic analysis, identification of pathologies, isotopic analysis and dental calculus analysis. The results indicate a higher frequency of juvenile-adult and adult animals, together with a relatively similar proportion of males and females.

Isotope analysis reveals the relevance of local wild plants in diet and maize as an exotic commodity in pre-Hispanic Patagonia.

The acknowledgment of plants as significant components in hunter-gatherer diets has provided new insights into past interactions between these groups and their environments, as well as between groups with different economies and social structures. The Patagonia region, South American Southern Cone, has been traditionally perceived as dominated by game hunting. This perception has changed by recognizing a broader spectrum of diet, where local wild and exotic domesticated plants, would have been intertwined in these hunter-gatherer lives.

Patagonian partnerships: the extinct and its interaction with prehistoric human communities.

The southern Mendoza province, located in the northern region of Patagonia, was inhabited by hunter-gatherer groups until historic times. Previous archaeological studies have reported canid remains among faunal assemblages, which were assumed to be part of the human diet. However, the taxonomic identification and significance of these canids within human groups have raised questions.