title: Arroyo del Vizcaíno, Uruguay: a fossil-rich 30-ka-old megafaunal locality with cut-marked bones.
abstract: Human-megafauna interaction in the Americas has great scientific and ethical interest because of its implications on Pleistocene extinction. The Arroyo del Vizcaíno site near Sauce, Uruguay has already yielded over 1000 bones belonging to at least 27 individuals, mostly of the giant sloth Lestodon. The assemblage shows some taphonomic features suggestive of human presence, such as a mortality profile dominated by prime adults and little evidence of major fluvial transport. In addition, several bones present deep, asymmetrical, microstriated, sharp and shouldered marks similar to those produced by human stone tools. A few possible lithic elements have also been collected, one of which has the shape of a scraper and micropolish consistent with usage on dry hide. However, the radiocarbon age of the site is unexpectedly old (between 27 and 30 thousand years ago), and thus may be important for understanding the timing of the peopling of America.
authors.affiliation: Sección Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, , Iguá 4225, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay, Sección Geotécnica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de la República, , Julio Herrera y Reissig 565, 11300 Montevideo, Uruguay, Laboratorio C, Comisión Nacional de Arqueología, Cátedra de Radioquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, , Gral. Flores 2124, 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay, Centro Universitario Regional Este, Universidad de la República, , Burnett casi M. Chiossi (Campus Municipal), 20000 Maldonado, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fariña
authors.forename: P Sebastián
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Tambusso
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Varela
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Czerwonogora
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Giacomo
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musso
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bracco
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gascue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002910:Chronology as Topic; D005580:Fossils; D006801:Humans; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012896:Sloths / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013499:Surface Properties; D014583:Uruguay
keywords: Quaternary; South America; bonebed; megafauna; peopling; taphonomy