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Presence of Late-Pleistocene Rheidae in the Oasisof 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 SouthAmerica. Among their main features are big sizes,
exclusively terrestrial habitsowing to an inability to fly, and
habitual running (Handford y Mares 1982; Folch1992; De la Pea and
Rumboll 1998; Tambussi 1995a; Tambussi and Acosta2002). Currently
this family is represented by two species, Rhea americana
andPterocnemia pennata, both of which inhabit grazing lands and to
lesser degreessmall and isolated wooded areas (Tambussi 1995a).
The recent evaluation of paleontological remains from the site
of KamacMayu (Second Region, Chile, 68 54 40 W, 22 26 22 S), Chile,
has re-vealed the presence of two bone fragments of the Rheidae
Family. Thesecorrespond to two distal fragments of a femur and the
body of the cervico-thoracic vertebra, all these bones attributable
to an adult. These bone frag-ments are associated with remains of
Macrauchenia sp. (Litopterna), Hippidionsaldiasi (Equidae),
Xenarthra, and cf. Lama gracilis (Camelidae) (Alberdi et al.2007;
Lpez et al. 2007). The deposits from which the remains were
recoveredare characterized by sand and stone sediments over an
extensive karst forma-
Ismael Martnez R. Nawel Consultores, rea de Arqueologa. Av.
Irarrzaval 2061, Depto. 408.e-mail: [email protected]
Isabel Cartajena F., Departamento de Antropologa, Facultad de
Ciencias Sociales, Universidad deChile, Ignacio Carrera Pinto 1045,
uoa, Santiago, Chile; e-mail: [email protected]
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:
[email protected]
164 LUNA-ESPINOSA/CARBOT-CHANONAPaleoenvironments: Vertebrates
and Invertebrates
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tion located inside a fluvial event (Chong Daz and Jensen 2004).
Thesedeposits are correlated to those of the Betecsa 1 site,
located 100 m from thecurrent channel of the Loa River. In this
site the fluvial event has been datedby 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
Pterocnemiapennata remains reveals a similarity with this species.
However, bones are toofragmented for morphometric analysis. For
this reason we classified the KamacMayu fossil record as Rheidae
gen. et sp. indet. According to Tambussi (1995a,1995b) the fossil
record of Rheidae for South America is composed of fourextinct
species: Heterorchea dabbenei from sediments of the Monte
HermosoFormation (Pliocene), Hinasuri nehuensis and Rhea
anchorenensis from theEnsenada Formation (middle Pleistocene), and
Rhea fossilis (late Pleistocene).Also Pterocnemia pennata and Rhea
americana have been found in severalPaleoindian sites (late
Pleistocene) of the southern cone, especially in thePampas and
Patagonia on both slopes of the Andes (Tambussi 1995b). In
thecontiguous area, the first remains were found in the highland
site of AguasCalientes I (4,205 m) dated to 8720 100 RCYBP
(Cartajena 2002).
This is the first record for Rheidae in deposits corresponding
to the last glacialmaximum (22,000-18,000 RCYBP) in northern Chile;
together with the otherspecies described, it suggests a
predominance of grazing lands. Results of a 13Canalysis on
Hippidion saldiasi from Betecsa 1 were -15.45 on bone and -16.68
ontooth enamel, suggesting a diet of C3 pastures. However, these
values could alsobe associated with the intake of aquatic plants
related to a humid phase in thestudy area between 16,000 RCYBP and
10,000 RCYBP (Latorre et al. 2002). In thecase of Kamac Mayu, the
presence of a fluvial deposit with freshwater molluscsfrom the
families Planorbidae, Hidrobiidaee, and Sphaeriidae, Typhaceae
fos-sils, and evidence of diverse faunal groups suggest an
environment of wetlandsin the middle course of the Loa basin,
related directly to the ancient basin ChiuChiu-Calama (May et al.
2005).
Research at Betecsa 1 and Kamac Mayu was funded by Nawel
Consultores (Chile). The authors thankFernanda Kalazich for their
collaboration and helpful.
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