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LUNA-ESPINOSA/CARBOT-CHANONA Paleoenvironments: Vertebrates and Invertebrates

Presence of Late-Pleistocene Rheidae in the Oasis of Calama (Second Region, Chile)

Ismael Martnez R., Isabel Cartajena F., and Patricio Lpez M.
Keywords: Rheidae, Late Pleistocene, Northern Chile Members of the Rheidae Family are endemic to the Neotropic zone of South America. Among their main features are big sizes, exclusively terrestrial habits owing to an inability to fly, and habitual running (Handford y Mares 1982; Folch 1992; De la Pea and Rumboll 1998; Tambussi 1995a; Tambussi and Acosta 2002). Currently this family is represented by two species, Rhea americana and Pterocnemia pennata, both of which inhabit grazing lands and to lesser degrees small and isolated wooded areas (Tambussi 1995a). The recent evaluation of paleontological remains from the site of Kamac Mayu (Second Region, Chile, 68 54 40 W, 22 26 22 S), Chile, has revealed the presence of two bone fragments of the Rheidae Family. These correspond to two distal fragments of a femur and the body of the cervicothoracic vertebra, all these bones attributable to an adult. These bone fragments are associated with remains of Macrauchenia sp. (Litopterna), Hippidion saldiasi (Equidae), Xenarthra, and cf. Lama gracilis (Camelidae) (Alberdi et al. 2007; Lpez et al. 2007). The deposits from which the remains were recovered are characterized by sand and stone sediments over an extensive karst formaIsmael Martnez R. Nawel Consultores, rea de Arqueologa. Av. Irarrzaval 2061, Depto. 408. e-mail: ismart68@gmail.com Isabel Cartajena F., Departamento de Antropologa, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Chile, Ignacio Carrera Pinto 1045, uoa, Santiago, Chile; e-mail: icartaje@uchile.cl Patricio Lpez M., Instituto de Investigaciones Arqueolgicas y Museo, Universidad Catlica del Norte, Calle Gustavo Le Paige 380, San Pedro de Atacama 141-0000, Chile; e-mail: patriciolopezmend@ yahoo.es

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tion located inside a fluvial event (Chong Daz and Jensen 2004). These deposits are correlated to those of the Betecsa 1 site, located 100 m from the current channel of the Loa River. In this site the fluvial event has been dated by AMS 14C on Hippidion saldiasi remains to 21,070 100 RCYBP (GrA-29389) and 21,380 100 RCYBP (GrA-29388). Morphologic comparison of the Kamac Mayu remains with known Pterocnemia pennata remains reveals a similarity with this species. However, bones are too fragmented for morphometric analysis. For this reason we classified the Kamac Mayu fossil record as Rheidae gen. et sp. indet. According to Tambussi (1995a, 1995b) the fossil record of Rheidae for South America is composed of four extinct species: Heterorchea dabbenei from sediments of the Monte Hermoso Formation (Pliocene), Hinasuri nehuensis and Rhea anchorenensis from the Ensenada Formation (middle Pleistocene), and Rhea fossilis (late Pleistocene). Also Pterocnemia pennata and Rhea americana have been found in several Paleoindian sites (late Pleistocene) of the southern cone, especially in the Pampas and Patagonia on both slopes of the Andes (Tambussi 1995b). In the contiguous area, the first remains were found in the highland site of Aguas Calientes I (4,205 m) dated to 8720 100 RCYBP (Cartajena 2002). This is the first record for Rheidae in deposits corresponding to the last glacial maximum (22,000-18,000 RCYBP) in northern Chile; together with the other species described, it suggests a predominance of grazing lands. Results of a 13C analysis on Hippidion saldiasi from Betecsa 1 were -15.45 on bone and -16.68 on tooth enamel, suggesting a diet of C3 pastures. However, these values could also be associated with the intake of aquatic plants related to a humid phase in the study area between 16,000 RCYBP and 10,000 RCYBP (Latorre et al. 2002). In the case of Kamac Mayu, the presence of a fluvial deposit with freshwater molluscs from the families Planorbidae, Hidrobiidaee, and Sphaeriidae, Typhaceae fossils, and evidence of diverse faunal groups suggest an environment of wetlands in the middle course of the Loa basin, related directly to the ancient basin Chiu Chiu-Calama (May et al. 2005).
Research at Betecsa 1 and Kamac Mayu was funded by Nawel Consultores (Chile). The authors thank Fernanda Kalazich for their collaboration and helpful.

References Cited
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Folch, A. 1992 Order Struthioniformes. In Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 1. Ostrich to Ducks, edited by J. Del Hoyo, A. Elliott and J. Sargatal, pp. 75110. ICBP Lynx Editions, Barcelona,

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Latorre C, J. L. Betancourt, K. A. Rylander and J. Quade 2002 Vegetation Invasions into Absolute Desert: A 45,000-yr Rodent Midden Record from the Calama-Salar de Atacama Basins, Northern Chile (2224 S). Geological Society of America Bulletin 114: 34966. Lpez M. P., I. Cartajena, R. Labarca, M. T. Alberdi, and J. L. Prado 2007 Extinct Faunal Remains in Exokarstic Deposits from the Late Pleistocene in Calama (II Region, Chile). Current Research in the Pleistocene 24:17577. May, G., A. Hartley, G. Chong Daz, F. Stuart, P. Turner, and S. Kape 2005 Eocene to Pleistocene Lithostratigraphy, Chronostratigraphy and Tectono-Sedimentary Evolution of the Calama Basin, Northern Chile. Revista Geolgica de Chile 32(1):3358 Tambussi, C. P. 1995a Las Aves. In Evolucin Biolgica y Climtica Pampeana durante los ltimos Cinco Millones de Aos. Un Ensayo de Correlacin con el Mediterrneo Occidental, edited by M. T. Alberdi, G. Leone and E. Tonni, pp. 293307. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientficas, Monografas, Madrid. 1995b 181:12129. The fossil Rheiformes from Argentina. CFS Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg

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