Dataset Information

The pre-Columbian introduction and dispersal of Algarrobo (Prosopis, Section Algarobia) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

ABSTRACT: Archaeological and palaeoecological studies throughout the Americas have documented widespread landscape and environmental transformation during the pre-Columbian era. The highly dynamic Formative (or Neolithic) period in northern Chile (ca. 3700-1550 yr BP) brought about the local establishment of agriculture, introduction of new crops (maize, quinoa, manioc, beans, etc.) along with a major population increase, new emergent villages and technological innovations. Even trees such as the Algarrobos (Prosopis section Algarobia) may have been part of this transformation. Here, we provide evidence that these species were not native to the Atacama Desert of Chile (18-27°S), appearing only in the late Holocene and most likely due to human actions. We assembled a database composed of 41 taxon specific AMS radiocarbon dates from archaeobotanical and palaeoecological records (rodent middens, leaf litter deposits), as well an extensive bibliographical review comprising archaeobotanical, paleoecological, phylogenetic and taxonomic data to evaluate the chronology of introduction and dispersal of these trees. Although Algarrobos could have appeared as early as 4200 yr BP in northernmost Chile, they only became common throughout the Atacama over a thousand years later, during and after the Formative period. Cultural and natural factors likely contributed to its spread and consolidation as a major silvicultural resource.

SUBMITTER: McRostie VB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5524391 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The pre-Columbian introduction and dispersal of Algarrobo (Prosopis, Section Algarobia) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

McRostie Virginia B VB Gayo Eugenia M EM Santoro Calogero M CM De Pol-Holz Ricardo R Latorre Claudio C

PloS one 20170724 7

Archaeological and palaeoecological studies throughout the Americas have documented widespread landscape and environmental transformation during the pre-Columbian era. The highly dynamic Formative (or Neolithic) period in northern Chile (ca. 3700-1550 yr BP) brought about the local establishment of agriculture, introduction of new crops (maize, quinoa, manioc, beans, etc.) along with a major population increase, new emergent villages and technological innovations. Even trees such as the Algarrob ...[more]

PMID: 28742126

Similar Datasets

Project description:In the Atacama Desert from northern Chile (19-24°S), Prosopis (Leguminosae) individuals are restricted to oases that are unevenly distributed and isolated from each other by large stretches of barren landscape constituting an interesting study model as the degree of connectivity between natural populations depends on their dispersal capacity and the barriers imposed by the landscape. Our goal was to assess the genetic diversity and the degree of differentiation among groups of Prosopis individuals of different species from Section Algarobia and putative hybrids (hereafter populations) co-occurring in these isolated oases from the Atacama Desert and determine whether genetic patterns are associated with dispersal barriers. Thirteen populations were sampled from oases located on three hydrographic basins (Pampa del Tamarugal, Rio Loa, and Salar de Atacama; northern, central, and southern basins, respectively). Individuals genotyped by eight SSRs show high levels of genetic diversity (H O = 0.61, A r = 3.5) and low but significant genetic differentiation among populations (F ST = 0.128, F ST-ENA = 0.129, D JOST = 0.238). The AMOVA indicates that most of the variation occurs within individuals (79%) and from the variance among individuals (21%); almost, the same variation can be found between basins and between populations within basins. Differentiation and structure results were not associated with the basins, retrieving up to four genetic clusters and certain admixture in the central populations. Pairwise differentiation comparisons among populations showed inconsistencies considering their distribution throughout the basins. Genetic and geographic distances were significantly correlated at global and within the basins considered (p < .02), but low correlation indices were obtained (r < .37). These results are discussed in relation to the fragmented landscape, considering both natural and non-natural (humans) dispersal agents that may be moving Prosopis in the Atacama Desert.

Project description:The Loa River is the only perennial artery that crosses the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. It plays an important role in the ecological and economic development of the most water-stressed region, revealing the impact of the mining industry, which exacerbate regional water shortages for many organisms and ecological processes. Despite this, the river system has remained understudied. To our knowledge, this study provides the first effort to attempt to compare the microbial communities at spatial scale along the Loa River, as well as investigate the physicochemical factors that could modulate this important biological component that still remains largely unexplored. The analysis of the spatial bacterial distribution and their interconnections in the water column and sediment samples from eight sites located in three sections along the river catchment (upper, middle and lower) was conducted using 16S rRNA gene-based Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Among a total of 543 ASVs identified at the family level, over 40.5% were cosmopolitan in the river and distributed within a preference pattern by the sediment substrate with 162 unique ASVs, while only 87 were specific to the column water. Bacterial diversity gradually decreased from the headwaters, where the upper section had the largest number of unique families. Distinct groupings of bacterial communities often associated with anthropogenic disturbance, including Burkholderiaceae and Flavobacteriaceae families were predominant in the less-impacted upstream section. Members of the Arcobacteraceae and Marinomonadaceae were prominent in the agriculturally and mining-impacted middle sector while Rhodobacteraceae and Coxiellaceae were most abundant families in downstream sites. Such shifts in the community structure were also related to the influence of salinity, chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen and redox potential. Network analyses corroborated the strong connectivity and modular structure of bacterial communities across this desert river, shedding light on taxonomic relatedness of co-occurring species and highlighting the need for planning the integral conservation of this basin.

Dataset Information

The pre-Columbian introduction and dispersal of Algarrobo (Prosopis, Section Algarobia) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

Publications

The pre-Columbian introduction and dispersal of Algarrobo (Prosopis, Section Algarobia) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets