Stable carbon and oxygen isotopes as environmental indicators of the Late Pleistocene in El Arenoso, Sonora, Northwest Mexico

Authors : Víctor Adrían PÉREZ-CRESPO, Tamara CRUZ-Y-CRUZ, Alejandro TERRAZAS-MATA, Pedro MORALES-PUENTE, Martha BENAVENTE, Edith CIENFUEGOS-ALVARADO, Francisco J. OTERO

Pages : 406-417

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Publication Date : 0000-00-00

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The paleoenvironment conditions that existed in the Late Pleistocene at the archaeological-paleontological site of El Arenoso, Sonora, NW Mexico, were inferred using the carbon and oxygen stable isotopes from one bison, one mammoth, and thirteen horses as well as the pedological characteristics and the carbon isotopes of calcium carbonates from paleosoil. The values δ13C of the bison insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(-1.4‰);, the horses insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(-2.8‰);, and the mammoth insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(-4.3‰); show that these animals fed mainly on C4 plants and carbon isotopic values from profile horizons of locality 4Bgk insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(-3.4‰);, 3Ck insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(-3.4‰);, and 2Bgk2 insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(-5.7‰); indicated the presence of C3/C4 vegetation mixed in El Arenoso. The oxygen isotopic ratios of the bison insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(-4.3‰);, the horses insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(-2.6‰);, and the mammoth insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(-5.1‰); show that these animals inhabited an arid environment, consistent with the results from the analyses of paleosols.
Keywords : Megafauna, paleosoils, stable isotopes, Sonora, environment