Impactos humanos tempranos en fauna insular: El caso de los venados enanos de Pedro González (Archipiélago de las Perlas, Panamá)

• Main Authors: Martínez-Polanco, María Fernanda, Jiménez, Máximo, Buckley, Michael, Cooke, Richard G.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: ResearchInstitutes_Networks_Beacons/manchester_institute_of_biotechnology; Manchester Institute of Biotechnology; ResearchInstitutes_Networks_Beacons/MERI; Manchester Environmental Research Institute; González Island
• Online Access: https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/publications/79af15c6-6afa-46c3-8aa6-f4e0b68ed202; https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/27855/2015%20Martinez%20Cooke-Impactos%20humanos%20tempranos%20en%20fauna%20insular-venados%20%20enanos%20Pedro%20Gonzalez.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1

Island ecosystems are fragile. Human impacts on them are usually irreversible. On Pedro González Island (15 ha) in the Pearl Island archipelago, Panama Bay, a dwarf deer (<10 kg) prevails in terrestrial vertebrate archaeofaunas froma 6.2-5.6 ka Preceramic midden. Collagen figerprinting shows it is likely to be the ancestor of a small deer, attributed to Mazama, which is extant only on San José Island, 8 km south. It is not found elsewhere in Central America. We describe human processing of the Preceramic deer based on a taphonomic study. Cut and scrape marks associated with processing, consumption and tool- making were identified. Deer remains diminish during the occupation. Later ceramic periods the dwarf deer is not present suggesting that it was extirpated on this island by the Preceramic inhabitants. Key words: Cervidae, islands, dwarfing, Panama, Pearl Islands, taphonomy