Anthropogenic modification of a giant ground sloth tooth from Brazil supported by a multi-disciplinary approach.
Megafauna
Pleistocene
South America
Tooth artifact
Zooarchaeology
Journal
Scientific reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
Titre abrégé: Sci Rep
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101563288
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
03 09 2024
03 09 2024
Historique:
received:
12
03
2024
accepted:
01
08
2024
medline:
4
9
2024
pubmed:
4
9
2024
entrez:
3
9
2024
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Identifying evidence of human modification of extinct animal remains, such as Pleistocene megafauna, is challenging due to the similarity of anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic taphonomic features observed under optical microscopy. Here, we re-investigate a Late Pleistocene ground sloth tooth from northeast Brazil, previously suggested as human-modified based only on optical observation. To characterize the macro- and micro-morphological characteristics of the marks preserved in this tooth and evaluate potential human modification, we used stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) supplemented by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), UV photoluminescence (UV/PL), synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF), and synchrotron micro-computed tomography (SR-µCT). These methods allowed us to discriminate non-anthropogenic taphonomic features (root and sedimentary damage), anthropogenic marks, and histological features. The latter shows the infiltration of exogenous elements into the dentine from the sediments. Our evidence demonstrates the sequence of anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic taphonomic modification of this tooth and supports its initial intentional modification by humans. We highlight the benefits of emerging imaging and spectral imaging techniques to investigate and diagnose human modification in fossil and archaeological records and propose that human modification of tooth tissues should be further considered when studying possibly anthropogenically altered fossil remains.
Identifiants
pubmed: 39227606
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-69145-5
pii: 10.1038/s41598-024-69145-5
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
19770Subventions
Organisme : Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
ID : 88887.569989/2020-00
Organisme : Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
ID : 420424/2023-7
Organisme : Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
ID : 2023/04501-6
Informations de copyright
© 2024. The Author(s).
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