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Ground Sloth Extinction and Human Occupation at Gruta Del Indio, Argentina

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Austin Long ,
Paul S. Martin  and
Humberto A. Lagiglia
Austin Long
Affiliation:
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0077
Paul S. Martin
Affiliation:
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0077
Humberto A. Lagiglia
Affiliation:
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0077
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Abstract

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A new set of radiocarbon dates from a rockshelter in Mendoza, Argentina addresses the question of the temporal overlap between the presence of an unidentified extinct ground sloth (cf., Mylodontidae) and evidence of human activity. Dung balls on the cave floor, evidently deposited by sloth, are overlain by charcoal, apparently of cultural origin. 14C dates, mostly on charcoal and dung from this shelter, calibrated using recently published curves, as well as the stratigraphy of the deposits from which the samples were collected, suggest that any co-occurrence of humans and ground sloths in this region was brief. In contrast, the single date on mylodon dermal ossicles from this shelter suggests significant time overlap. Replication of this date as well as obtaining new high-precision 14C analyses from this site will be the next priority.

Type
Part 2: Applications
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 40 , Issue 2: 16th International Radiocarbon Conference June 16-20, 1997 Part 2: Applications, Conference Editors: Willem G. Mook Johannes van der Plicht , 1997 , pp. 693 - 700
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

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