AVES DE UN SITIO ARQUELÓGICO DEL ÁREA INTERSERRANA DE LA PROVINCIA DE BUENOS AIRES

Abstract

BIRDS FROM AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE IN TE INTER-RANGES' AREA, BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE. - Fossil remains were obtained from eolian sediments at site 2, archaeological locality Arroyo Seco (Tres Arroyos, Buenos Aires Provínce). Two mammalian assemblages have been recognized at thís síte: 1) one with Pleistocene Pampean megamammals occurring together with species of the autochtonous, presently-living fauna; and 2) another formed exclusívely by species of the autochtonous presently-living fauna. Bird remains were found in 1). Datings from this levei were performed on bone colagen of Megatherium americanum and Hamo sapiens, yielding ages of 8390 ± 290 14C yr B.P. and 8558 ± 316 14C yr B.P. The bird remains are assigned to the following taxa: Rhea americana, Nothura sp., Eudromia cf elegans and Athene cunicularia. It is concluded that: a) all registe red taxa are charaeteristic of open spaces and are still living in the area; b) the remains attributed to Eudromia cf elegans and to Athene cunicularia are the first findings of these species that appear together with extinct fauna in Argentina; e) Rhea americana and, probably, the Tinamidae were used by man with economic purposes (feeding, bone-tool manufacturing); and d) the remains of Athene cutnicularia could have been part of burial goods.