Thursday, August 7, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Archaeology

Evidence for butchery of giant armadillo-like mammals in Argentina 21,000 years ago

July 17, 2024
in Archaeology
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Anthropic cut marks in extinct megafauna bones from the Pampean region (Argentina) at the last glacial maximum
66
SHARES
603
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Cut marks on fossils could be evidence of humans exploiting large mammals in Argentina more than 20,000 years ago, according to a study published July 17, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Mariano Del Papa of National University of La Plata, Argentina and colleagues.

Anthropic cut marks in extinct megafauna bones from the Pampean region (Argentina) at the last glacial maximum

Credit: Damián Voglino, Museo de Ciencias Naturales A. Scasso (Colegio Don Bosco), San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Provincia de Buenos Aires, CC-BY 4.0 (

Cut marks on fossils could be evidence of humans exploiting large mammals in Argentina more than 20,000 years ago, according to a study published July 17, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Mariano Del Papa of National University of La Plata, Argentina and colleagues.

The timing of early human occupation of South America is a topic of intense debate, highly relevant to a study of early human dispersal across the Americas and of humans’ potential role in the extinction of large mammals at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch. This discussion is hampered by a general scarcity of direct archaeological evidence of early human presence and human-animal interactions.

In this study, researchers present evidence of butchery on Pleistocene mammal fossils from the banks of the Reconquista River, northeast of the Pampean region in Argentina. The fossils are those of a glyptodont, a giant relative of armadillos, named Neosclerocalyptus. Statistical analysis finds that cut marks on parts of the pelvis, tail, and body armor are consistent with known marks made by stone tools, and the placement of these marks is consistent with a butchering sequence targeting areas of dense flesh. Radiocarbon dating indicates these fossils are around 21,000 years old, nearly six thousand years older than other known archaeological evidence in southern South America.

These results fit with other recent findings that indicate early human presence in the Americas over 20,000 years ago. These fossils are also among the oldest evidence of human interaction with large mammals shortly before many of those mammals became extinct. The authors suggest that these findings might be further supported by additional excavation at this site, further analysis of the cut marks, and more extensive radiocarbon dating of the fossils.

Miguel Delgado, the corresponding author, adds: “The study’s evidence puts into question the time frame for the first human peopling of the Americas 16,000 years ago”

#####

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE:

Citation: Del Papa M, De Los Reyes M, Poiré DG, Rascovan N, Jofré G, Delgado M (2024) Anthropic cut marks in extinct megafauna bones from the Pampean region (Argentina) at the last glacial maximum. PLoS ONE 19(7): e0304956.

Author Countries: Argentina, France, China

Funding: Work leading to this publication was funded by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (#31771393), Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research (USA) Grant/Award number 9391, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCNyM, UNLP), INCEPTION program (Investissement d’Avenir grant ANR-16-CONV-0005) and ERC-2020-STG – PaleoMetAmerica – 948800. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.



Journal

PLoS ONE

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0304956

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Anthropic cut marks in extinct megafauna bones from the Pampean region (Argentina) at the last glacial maximum

Article Publication Date

17-Jul-2024

COI Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Share26Tweet17
Previous Post

Discovery of a hybrid lineage offers clues to how trees adapt to climate change

Next Post

Gender inequality across US states revealed by new tool

Related Posts

Stone tools
Archaeology

Archaeologists Discover Oldest Human Traces on Island Next to the ‘Hobbit’s’ Home – Origins Remain Unknown

August 6, 2025
Burials at Nong Ratchawat
Archaeology

4,000-Year-Old Teeth Reveal Earliest Evidence of Chewing Psychoactive Betel Nuts

July 31, 2025
Is this what 2,500-year-old honey looks like?
Archaeology

Could This Be Honey That’s 2,500 Years Old?

July 31, 2025
Known routes of migration
Archaeology

New Research on Submerged Migration Routes Redefines Human Settlement Beyond Africa

July 31, 2025
Ancient Japanese pots
Archaeology

Ancient Japan’s ‘Millet Mystery’ Uncovered: New Research Reveals Complex Agricultural Adoption

July 31, 2025
Vasilii Trushkin
Archaeology

Teenage Diaries from Stalin’s Russia Uncover Psychological Impacts of Love, Famine, and Societal Pressure

July 31, 2025
Next Post
Unveiling gender inequality in the US: Testing validity of a state-level measure of gender inequality and its relationship with feminist online collective action on Twitter

Gender inequality across US states revealed by new tool

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27530 shares
    Share 11009 Tweet 6881
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    942 shares
    Share 377 Tweet 236
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    641 shares
    Share 256 Tweet 160
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    506 shares
    Share 202 Tweet 127
  • Warm seawater speeding up melting of ‘Doomsday Glacier,’ scientists warn

    310 shares
    Share 124 Tweet 78
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Metastable Iron Minerals Enrich Global Coastal Wetlands
  • NoGo P300 Changes in Schizophrenia Social Brain
  • Nurse-Led Spiritual Care Boosts Resilience, Reduces Death Anxiety
  • Community Health Workers Boost Mental Care in Refugee Camps

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,859 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading