Molecular techniques were applied to samples from poorly preserved furs deposited in the collection of Monseñor Fagnano Regional Museum in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, in order to identify the species from which they were made. Hairs were obtained from guanaco leather blankets (Lama guanicoe) and a puma fur (Pumaconcolor) made by Selk'nam from Santa Cruz province. Both samples have been kept in the warehouse of Monseñor Fagnano Regional Museum at the Candelaria Salesian Mission in Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. For DNA extraction, 5mm hair strands were digested in a PCR-compatible lysis buffer. Specific mitochondrial DNA fragments were amplified by PCR and sequenced. Nucleotide sequences were compared with those deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), USA: GenBank. The use of molecular techniques allowed us to recover sequences from poorly preserved fur samples. This can be extended to other sources of hairs and fibers of archaeological origin in the area.

En el presente trabajo se aplicaron técnicas moleculares sobre muestras poco conservadas de pieles depositadas en la colección del Museo Regional Monseñor Fagnano, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, con el objetivo de identificar la especie con la que fueron confeccionadas. Se extrajeron pelos de mantas realizadas con pieles de guanaco (Lama guanicoe) por Selk'nam y de una piel de puma (Puma concolor) procedente de la provincia de Santa Cruz. Ambas muestras se encontraban almacenadas en el Museo Regional Monseñor Fagnano y en la Misión Salesiana Candelaria en Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. La extracción de ADN de los fragmentos de pelos de 5mm de longitud se realizó en un buffer de lisis PCR-compatible. Se amplificaron por PCR fragmentos específicos de ADN mitocondrial y se secuenciaron. Estas fueron comparadas con las depositadas en la base de secuencias de nucleótidos del National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) de Estados Unidos. La aplicación de técnicas moleculares permitió recuperar secuencias de ADN de muestras de pieles con un estado de conservación poco óptimo para análisis genéticos, pudiendo extenderse a otras fuentes de pelos como las fibras textiles de origen arqueológico de la región.

The study of coprolites permits to deal with ecological and cultural aspects of past populations, such as palaeo environmental reconstructions, palaeo diets, inferences related to the use of resources and parasitism status. The objective of this work is the recognition of the contribution of studies of pollen in coprolites to the palaeo environmental reconstructions, and the identification of probable items in the diet of guanacos living during the Holocene in the area near the site Cerro Casa de Piedra 7 (Perito Moreno National Park, Santa Cruz, Argentina). The pollen content of 15 coprolites of guanacos coming from seven archaeological layers dated by 14C and resulting in ages between 9.640 ± 190 years BP and 5.400 ± 64 years BP were analysed. Pollen extraction was performed through acetolysis, and determination and counting under optical microscope. The presence of plant tissue and parasite remains was recorded. The coprolite pollen spectrum was compared with the sediment spectrum, and statistical analyses were conducted. The dominant pollen types were: Nothofagus, Empetrum rubrum, Asteraceae subfam. Asteroideae and Nassauvia, Poaceae and Caryophyllaceae. Pollen sets of contemporaneous coprolites and sediments show similarity in some cases, and different ratio or composition in some others. The similarities found between coprolites and sediments allow to infer that pollen in coprolites reveals the dominant vegetation taxa; on the contrary, a greater abundance of certain pollen types in coprolites than in sediments could be due to the fact that pollen in coprolites is biased with over-representations of the items preferred by guanacos, whereas a greater abundance in sediments than in coprolites could be due to the fact that the ingested plants were not in their flowering period. The results of this work show the value of coprolites as palaeoenvironmental indicators, and it contributes data to the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and to the guanacos` diet.

El estudio de coprolitos permite abordar aspectos ecológicos y culturales de poblaciones pasadas, como reconstrucciones del paleoambiente, de paleodietas, inferir estacionalidad en el uso de los recursos y situaciones de parasitismo. El objetivo de este trabajo es reconocer el aporte del análisis polínico de coprolitos para las reconstrucciones paleoambientales e identificar posibles ítems de la dieta de guanacos del Holoceno del área cercana al sitio Cerro Casa de Piedra 7 (Parque Nacional Perito Moreno, Santa Cruz, Argentina). Se analizó el contenido polínico de 15 coprolitos de guanaco provenientes de 7 capas arqueológicas entre 9.640 ± 190 y 5.400 ± 64 14C años AP. La extracción polínica se llevó a cabo mediante acetólisis y se realizó la determinación y recuento bajo microscopio óptico. Se registró la presencia de tejido vegetal y de restos de parásitos. Se comparó el espectro polínico de los coprolitos con el espectro de los sedimentos y se realizaron análisis estadísticos. Los tipos polínicos dominantes fueron: Nothofagus, Empetrum rubrum, Asteraceae subfam. Asteroideae y Nassauvia, Poaceae y Caryophyllaceae. Los conjuntos polínicos de coprolitos y sedimentos contemporáneos presentan similitudes en algunos casos y diferencias en proporciones o en composición en otros. Las similitudes encontradas entre coprolitos y sedimentos permiten inferir que el polen de los coprolitos refleja los taxones dominantes de la vegetación, por el contrario cuando hay mayor abundancia de ciertos tipos polínicos en los coprolitos que en los sedimentos, podría deberse a que el polen de los coprolitos está sesgado con sobre representaciones de los ítems preferidos por el guanaco, mientras que si la abundancia es mayor en los sedimentos que en los coprolitos, podría deberse a que las plantas consumidas no estaban en su período de floración. Los resultados de este trabajo muestran el valor de los coprolitos como indicadores paleoambientales y aportan datos para la reconstrucción paleoambiental y de dieta de los guanacos.

Discriminant analysis was used to identify eggs of Capillaria spp. at specific level found in organic remains from an archaeological site in Patagonia, Argentina, dated of 6,540 ± 110 years before present. In order to distinguish eggshell morphology 149 eggs were measured and grouped into four arbitrary subsets. The analysis used on egg width and length discriminated them into different morphotypes (Wilks' lambda = 0.381, p < 0.05). The correlation analysis suggests that width was the most important variable to discriminate among the Capillaria spp. egg morphotypes (Pearson coefficient = 0.950, p < 0.05). The study of eggshell patterns, the relative frequency in the sample, and the morphometric data allowed us to correlate the four morphotypes with Capillaria species.

Sediments belonging to an archaeological rescue were examined for parasites. The archaeological site consists in a rockshelter, close to Río Mayo locality, southwest of Chubut province and associated to european contact, probably s. XIX. Organic remains proceeding from the pelvic girdle were examined. By means of quantitative and qualitative techniques, eggs of anoplocephalids and nematodes, Trichuris sp., were observed. Macroscopic inspection of the sample showed rodent coprolites; the paleoparasitologic analysis exhibited eggs of anoplocephalids, Trichuris sp, Capillaria sp and an unidentified ascaridid. Probable contamination of the deposit with rodent parasites is discussed

En este trabajo, que tiene como objetivo el estudio paleoparasitológico, se analizan sedimentos procedentes del rescate arqueológico de un entierro múltiple en un alero rocoso, cercano a la localidad de Río Mayo, al sudoeste del Chubut. Se obtuvieron sedimentos extraídos de la región pélvica de un esqueleto humano procedente de Patagonia y vinculado al período de contacto europeo-aborigen. Mediante técnicas cuantitativas y cualitativas se registraron huevos de anoplocefálidos y de Trichuris sp. La inspección macroscópica previa de la muestra evidenció fecas de roedor y su examen paleoparasitológico evidenció huevos de anoplocefálidos, Trichuris sp, Capillaria sp y un ascadidido no identificado. Por lo tanto, se advierte la posible contaminación del depósito con parásitos de roedores

Three techniques to extract parasite remains from archaeological sediments were tested. The aim was to improve the sensibility of recommended paleoparasitological techniques applied in archaeological remains. Sediment collected from the pelvic girdle of a human body found in Cabo Vírgenes, Santa Cruz, Argentina, associated to a Spanish settlement founded in 1584 known as Nombre de Jesús, was used to search for parasites. Sediment close to the skull was used as control. The techniques recommended by Jones, Reinhard, and Dittmar and Teejen were used and compared with the modified technique presented here, developed to improve the sensibility to detect parasite remains. Positive results were obtained only with the modified technique, resulting in the finding of Trichuris trichiura eggs in the sediment.

Sediments from several sectors of the Orejas de Burro 1 archaeological site, Santa Cruz province, Argentina, were examined. The burial was dated in 3720-3978 cal. yr BP. Eggs of Trichuris sp. and Capillaria sp. as well as oocysts of Eimeria macusaniensis were found. The presence of parasites was useful as an independent source of information about the ecology of the human groups that occupied the cave. Likewise, helpful information for the study of ancient zoonoses and biogeography of the species of Eimeria genus, associated to camelids, was obtained

Se examinaron sedimentos provenientes de diversos sectores del sitio arqueológico Orejas de Burro 1, provincia de Santa Cruz, Argentina. El enterratorio fue fechado en 3720-3978 años cal. AP. Fueron identificados huevos de Trichuris sp. y Capillaria sp. y ooquistes de Eimeria macusaniensis. La presencia de parásitos ha servido como fuente independiente de información sobre la ecología de los grupos humanos que habitaron la cueva. Asimismo, aporta información útil para el estudio de las zoonosis en el Holoceno y para la reconstrucción de la biogeografía de las especies del género Eimeria vinculadas a camélidos.