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Journal Articles by Edith Cienfuegos Alvarado
Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas, 2003
El depósito de hierro de Peña Colorada está constituido por tres tipos de mineralización caracter... more El depósito de hierro de Peña Colorada está constituido por tres tipos de mineralización característicos: (1) un cuerpo superior masivo de magnetita , subconcordante con la estratificación y de hasta 20 metros de potencia, que contiene fragmentos decimétricos a métricos de granatitas pre-existentes, completamente reemplazadas por feldespato potásico; (2) un cuerpo con magnetita diseminada, también subconcordante con la estratificación, situado por debajo del anterior y de una potencia reconocida, por sondeos, de hasta 150 metros, constituido por alternancias rítmicas de pirita-magnetita-piroxeno junto con cristales idiomórficos de feldespato potásico poiquilítico de origen metasomático que, localmente, llegan a constituir una episienita "sensu lato"; y (3) una brecha polimícitica, con evidencias de fracturación hidráulica, que corta a toda la serie estratigráfica local, con morfología general de diatrema, que incluye en sus niveles inferiores xenolitos de "nelsonitas pobres en Ti", en el sentido de Fooses y Grauch, así como fragmentos de los otros cuerpos mineralizados. En este trabajo reportamos los dos primeros fechamientos, efectuados mediante el método K-Ar, en los cuerpos mineralizados de Peña Colorada. Una muestra de feldespato potásico de las episienitas del cuerpo diseminado inferior presenta la edad más antigua del depósito (65.3±1.5 Ma); en cambio, una muestra de feldespato potásico del cuerpo masivo superior presenta una edad sensiblemente menor (57.3±2.1 Ma). Estos fechamientos sitúan la formación de dicho depósito entre el límite Cretácico Superior-Paleoceno y el Paleoceno medio. Dado que los cuerpos fechados representan al segundo y tercer evento de formación del depósito (de cinco), se puede argumentar que el tiempo total de formación del depósito es superior a 4.4 Ma, pudiendo haber sido, muy posiblemente, mucho mayor. La disposición espacial de los diferentes cuerpos mineralizados, sus características texturales, y la diferencia de edades de los cuerpos mineralizados sugieren que el depósito de Peña Colorada se formó debido a la recurrencia de eventos mineralizantes en un volumen discreto de corteza y en un lapso de tiempo relativamente amplio (>4 Ma). Estos hechos invalidan la hipótesis previa de que la mineralización de Fe corresponde a un depósito de tipo skarn generado por la intrusión de un microgranito infrayacente. Asimismo, a partir de estos datos proponemos que el depósito de Peña Colorada presenta una fuerte afinidad con los depósitos de tipo IOCG (Iron-Oxide-Copper
We characterized Mexican honey from the main production regions, using the internal stable carbon... more We characterized Mexican honey from the main production regions, using the internal stable carbon isotope ratio (ISIRA) of the honey and its protein. We found the average 8 13 C given by White for American honey is very close to the corresponding value for Mexican honey, even though clear evidence that c4 and CAM plants are visited by bees. We found adulteration of Mexican commercial samples using the criterium of-1.00 %o difference also given by White. Two pyrolysis methods were tested to optimize the accuracy of the carbon isotope ratio analysis of honey. We found that the quartz method showed smaller variation in the data due to a complete combustion of the honey. The honey protein was isolated and purified using the protein dialysis procedure recommended by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. We found that the direct precipitation method without dialysis is not useful for samples which are adulterated by more than 50%.
Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences, 2020
The paleoenvironment conditions that existed in the Late Pleistocene at the archaeological-paleon... more The paleoenvironment conditions that existed in the Late Pleistocene at the archaeological-paleontological site of El Arenoso, Sonora, NW Mexico, were inferred using the carbon and oxygen stable isotopes from one bison, one mammoth, and thirteen horses as well as the pedological characteristics and the carbon isotopes of calcium carbonates from paleosoil. The values δ13C of the bison (–1.4‰), the horses (–2.8‰), and the mammoth (–4.3‰) show that these animals fed mainly on C4 plants and carbon isotopic values from profile horizons of locality 4Bgk (–3.4‰), 3Ck (–3.4‰), and 2Bgk2 (–5.7‰) indicated the presence of C3/C4 vegetation mixed in El Arenoso. The oxygen isotopic ratios of the bison (–4.3‰), the horses (–2.6‰), and the mammoth (–5.1‰) show that these animals inhabited an arid environment, consistent with the results from the analyses of paleosols.
Papers by Edith Cienfuegos Alvarado
Sedimentology, Jul 1, 2024
Cuatro Cienegas is a natural geopark that exhibits a vast reservoir of geological, geochemical an... more Cuatro Cienegas is a natural geopark that exhibits a vast reservoir of geological, geochemical and geobiological diversity, including shallow-water microbial carbonates with clotted micrite textures known as thrombolites. Thrombolites mainly occur as domes and massive irregular carbonates along the margins of Rio Mezquites in Cuatro Cienegas, northern Mexico. Because their clotted textures result from diverse abiotic and biotic interactions at the microbial–mineral interface, the formation of clots in thrombolites continues to be a contentious issue. Through a petrographic, scanning electron microscopy and bulk biogeochemical analysis, this study investigated the role of endolithic cyanobacteria in the generation of thrombolitic clots. Their microclotted fabric is characterized by 50 to 200 lm peloidal clots, pores, fenestrae, crevices and cavities as main components. Thrombolites also contain microbial microstructures, some of them interpreted as the endolithic contribution to the genesis of clotted micrite. Thrombolites and associated fresh microbial mats are composed of cyanobacteria, green algae and diatoms. Petrography and cast-embedded scanning electron microscopy micrographs also show the presence of filamentous endolithic cyanobacteria inside the thrombolitic framestone. The geochemical bulk characterization for carbon and oxygen isotopes shows average values of 0.7& Vienna PeeDee Belemnite and 8.0& Vienna PeeDee Belemnite, respectively. The organic matter preserved in their mineral matrix and associated microbial mats indicated the putative presence of cyanobacterial hopanoids. The high diversity of peloids and the microboring evidence, together with observed microstructures, suggest that clots may also form by the concurrent precipitation and dissolution of the thrombolites. Among the known sources of peloidal clots, microbial boring may be an additional micrite source for clot formation. Microbial carbonate dissolution may also promote heterogenous lithification by hydration and dehydration cycles. Thrombolites reflect complex systems due to concurrent interactions among producers (phototrophs), consumers (small invertebrates), mineralization (carbonate precipitation induced by phototrophs) and endolithic dissolution. The microstructures inside thrombolites, in conjunction with biogeochemical attributes of bulk thrombolites, may provide unambiguous sedimentary biosignatures.
Mineralium Deposita
The Santa María and Antares Zn-Pb(-Ag) skarn deposits in the Velardeña Mining District are locate... more The Santa María and Antares Zn-Pb(-Ag) skarn deposits in the Velardeña Mining District are located in central–NW Mexico. They lie 470 m apart along the contact between Oligocene felsic intrusions and Cretaceous limestones, and were developed during prograde, retrograde, post-ore (Santa María), and late stages. Firstly, the prograde stage was formed by fluids at ~ 600 °C and 15 wt% NaCl equiv., and consists of garnet + wollastonite ± clinopyroxene and biotite ± K-feldspar assemblages. Secondly, the retrograde/ore stage was formed by fluids at 300–500 °C with salinities of 20–30 wt% CaCl2 (Santa María) and > 40 wt% NaCl equiv. (Antares). It comprises assemblages of chlorite, amphibole, epidote, calcite, scapolite, quartz, sericite, adularia, fluorite, and muscovite associated with sphalerite, pyrite, galena, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, and Pb-Bi-Sb sulfosalts. Thirdly, the post-ore stage was formed by fluids at ~ 400 °C and 20–30 wt.% CaCl2 and comprises poorly minerali...
The soils of the Mexican Volcanic Belt are part of ecosystems subjected to strong human impact du... more The soils of the Mexican Volcanic Belt are part of ecosystems subjected to strong human impact during the last six centuries. One measurable characteristic of the soil is the stable carbon isotopic relation of the soil organic matter (SOM) or d13C. The d13C SOM parameter is a genetic characteristic of soil reflecting the relative proportion of C3 and C4 that
Journal of South American Earth Sciences
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
Black paint is common on Remojadas style ceramics of Central Veracruz, Mexico, dating to 100 BCE-... more Black paint is common on Remojadas style ceramics of Central Veracruz, Mexico, dating to 100 BCE-CE 600. An early study considers this paint to be Moraceae latex, with some bitumen. The present study analyzes 20 samples from the site of La Joya, from the Remojadas culture: paint from 14 jars and 5 figurines, and 1 residue of bitumen processing inside a jar, using standard bitumen analysis combining Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry and δ 13 C isotopic values, and compares the results to published data from Gulf Coast oil seeps. The conclusion is that the samples are bitumen without latex added, which probably comes from the same local seep group. The study provides a third set of data for bitumen analysis in the Americas, offering comparable information on this important but little known resource in the ancient cultures of the New World.
Se presenta el primer volumen de resultados de un proyecto interdisciplinario dirigido por Linda ... more Se presenta el primer volumen de resultados de un proyecto interdisciplinario dirigido por Linda R. Manzanilla en el centro de barrio multiétnico de Teopancazco en la porción sureste de Teotihuacan, con el estudio arqueométrico de los fechamientos semiabsolutos del sitio, los de materias primas locales y foráneas (pigmentos, cosméticos, pizarra, moluscos marinos), y la población multiétnica (estudios isotópicos de estroncio 87/86 y de isótopos estables, y de elementos traza para aseverar la paleodieta) . Ganó el Premio Alfonso Caso 2013 a la mejor investigación en arqueología, la mención honorífica del Premio Antonio García Cubas 2013 en edición de libro antropológico.
Antropología Americana, 2022
Es importante conocer el proceso de domesticación, dispersión y uso del maíz, como de otras plant... more Es importante conocer el proceso de domesticación, dispersión y uso del maíz, como de otras plantas cultivables, así como de movilidad geográfica. Los análisis isotópicos en colágeno y bioapatita brindan la posibilidad de contrastar dietas con firmas isotópicas similares, proporcionando una base estadística confiable de diferenciación individual y poblacional sobre las fuentes de proteína específicas de origen vegetal y animal, terrestre o marina.El análisis isotópico de carbono (13C) en colágeno y bioapatita de 20 muestras obtenidas de hueso y dientes humanos procedentes de la cueva de la Sepultura 3050-2850 a. P. (1400-1100 a. C.) indica una amplia y rica variedad dietética producto no solo de cierta movilidad restringida, sino de desplazamientos en un entorno de transición ecológica entre la sierra y la costa, según atestigua el análisis de isótopos de oxígeno (18O), lo que proporciona nuevos datos al problema histórico-cultural y conceptual sobre el incremento del uso del maí...
Paleontological Journal, 2021
The diet of the Clarendonian-early Hemphillian Pliohippus potosinus from the Paso del Águila loca... more The diet of the Clarendonian-early Hemphillian Pliohippus potosinus from the Paso del Águila local fauna, San Luis Potosí, central Mexico, was investigated using carbon and oxygen biogeochemical markers recovered from the dental enamel. Results indicate that P. potosinus was a mixed C3/C4 feeder with an important consumption of C4 plants, and that lived in a savanna. The lithic, structural and palynomorph records show the coexistence there of low lands and savanna plant taxa, quite probably the habitat of P. potosinus and of the camels present in this local fauna, with mountain slopes where forest taxa thrived, and constituted the habitat of cervids, also members of this fauna.
The Southwestern Naturalist, 2016
Abstract We inferred the diet and habitat preferences of three individuals of the dwarf pronghorn... more Abstract We inferred the diet and habitat preferences of three individuals of the dwarf pronghorn Capromeryx mexicana from Cedral, Mexico, using stable isotope analysis and the mesowear method. Both approaches showed that the individuals were C3/C4 mixed feeders which inhabited open forest. These results differ from previous hypotheses that suggested this species only fed on grasses and lived in grasslands.
Boletin De La Sociedad Geologica Mexicana, Dec 1, 2013
The Mexican Fold and Thrust Belt (MFTB) lies on the eastern edge of the Late Cretaceous- Paleocen... more The Mexican Fold and Thrust Belt (MFTB) lies on the eastern edge of the Late Cretaceous- Paleocene Cordilleran Orogen and its evolution can be envisioned through the orogenic wedge model. Its slope averages probably reached 3° during deformation, and after deformation erosion decreased down to 1–1.5°. The deformed stratigraphic sequence consists mainly of carbonate rocks, and includes two marine platforms (named El Doctor and Valles-San Luis Potosí) and two basins (Zimapán and Tampico-Misantla). Pore-fluid pressure played an important role during deformation by reducing tectonic stress, facilitating extensional fracturing, and by enabling mineral dissolution and solution transfer on the grain scale. The determination of d2H and d18O composition of present-day meteoric water helps to evaluate the contribution of meteoric water to pore-fluid active during the buildup of the MFTB. We thus determined the meteoric water line by means of the analysis of 23 samples of rain, cave and river ...
Antropología Americana, Feb 23, 2022
Based on the study of stable isotope analysis to identify the paleodiet in a sample from the arch... more Based on the study of stable isotope analysis to identify the paleodiet in a sample from the archeological site of Chingú (Classic period, 200-650 A.D.) a comparative review was made with the results obtained from similar analyses in several contemporary settlements, mainly residential and administrative compounds of Teotihuacan, but also with sites in the Maya area such as Kaminaljuyu and Altun Ha, among others. The results indicate a clear difference between both regions, since the consumption of a higher proportion of C 3 plants origin food and marine products in the southeastern sites stands out, as opposed to the dependence on maize cultivation observed in the Central Highlands of Mexico.
Antiquity, 2021
Dietary studies can offer insight into the effects of imperial rule on colonised populations. Ink... more Dietary studies can offer insight into the effects of imperial rule on colonised populations. Inka expansion was associated with change in agricultural production and diet, including greater emphasis on maize. This article presents stable isotope analyses of ten individuals from two locations in Antofagasta de la Sierra, Argentina. AMS dating assigns one site to the start of the Inka period and one to the end. Despite diachronic changes in material culture, isotope analyses indicate that maize remained relatively unimportant in local diet. Given the symbolic value of maize in the Inka world, this lack of dietary change suggests limited imperial influence over local agricultural production and diet.
Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas, 2003
El depósito de hierro de Peña Colorada está constituido por tres tipos de mineralización caracter... more El depósito de hierro de Peña Colorada está constituido por tres tipos de mineralización característicos: (1) un cuerpo superior masivo de magnetita , subconcordante con la estratificación y de hasta 20 metros de potencia, que contiene fragmentos decimétricos a métricos de granatitas pre-existentes, completamente reemplazadas por feldespato potásico; (2) un cuerpo con magnetita diseminada, también subconcordante con la estratificación, situado por debajo del anterior y de una potencia reconocida, por sondeos, de hasta 150 metros, constituido por alternancias rítmicas de pirita-magnetita-piroxeno junto con cristales idiomórficos de feldespato potásico poiquilítico de origen metasomático que, localmente, llegan a constituir una episienita "sensu lato"; y (3) una brecha polimícitica, con evidencias de fracturación hidráulica, que corta a toda la serie estratigráfica local, con morfología general de diatrema, que incluye en sus niveles inferiores xenolitos de "nelsonitas pobres en Ti", en el sentido de Fooses y Grauch, así como fragmentos de los otros cuerpos mineralizados. En este trabajo reportamos los dos primeros fechamientos, efectuados mediante el método K-Ar, en los cuerpos mineralizados de Peña Colorada. Una muestra de feldespato potásico de las episienitas del cuerpo diseminado inferior presenta la edad más antigua del depósito (65.3±1.5 Ma); en cambio, una muestra de feldespato potásico del cuerpo masivo superior presenta una edad sensiblemente menor (57.3±2.1 Ma). Estos fechamientos sitúan la formación de dicho depósito entre el límite Cretácico Superior-Paleoceno y el Paleoceno medio. Dado que los cuerpos fechados representan al segundo y tercer evento de formación del depósito (de cinco), se puede argumentar que el tiempo total de formación del depósito es superior a 4.4 Ma, pudiendo haber sido, muy posiblemente, mucho mayor. La disposición espacial de los diferentes cuerpos mineralizados, sus características texturales, y la diferencia de edades de los cuerpos mineralizados sugieren que el depósito de Peña Colorada se formó debido a la recurrencia de eventos mineralizantes en un volumen discreto de corteza y en un lapso de tiempo relativamente amplio (>4 Ma). Estos hechos invalidan la hipótesis previa de que la mineralización de Fe corresponde a un depósito de tipo skarn generado por la intrusión de un microgranito infrayacente. Asimismo, a partir de estos datos proponemos que el depósito de Peña Colorada presenta una fuerte afinidad con los depósitos de tipo IOCG (Iron-Oxide-Copper
We characterized Mexican honey from the main production regions, using the internal stable carbon... more We characterized Mexican honey from the main production regions, using the internal stable carbon isotope ratio (ISIRA) of the honey and its protein. We found the average 8 13 C given by White for American honey is very close to the corresponding value for Mexican honey, even though clear evidence that c4 and CAM plants are visited by bees. We found adulteration of Mexican commercial samples using the criterium of-1.00 %o difference also given by White. Two pyrolysis methods were tested to optimize the accuracy of the carbon isotope ratio analysis of honey. We found that the quartz method showed smaller variation in the data due to a complete combustion of the honey. The honey protein was isolated and purified using the protein dialysis procedure recommended by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. We found that the direct precipitation method without dialysis is not useful for samples which are adulterated by more than 50%.
Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences, 2020
The paleoenvironment conditions that existed in the Late Pleistocene at the archaeological-paleon... more The paleoenvironment conditions that existed in the Late Pleistocene at the archaeological-paleontological site of El Arenoso, Sonora, NW Mexico, were inferred using the carbon and oxygen stable isotopes from one bison, one mammoth, and thirteen horses as well as the pedological characteristics and the carbon isotopes of calcium carbonates from paleosoil. The values δ13C of the bison (–1.4‰), the horses (–2.8‰), and the mammoth (–4.3‰) show that these animals fed mainly on C4 plants and carbon isotopic values from profile horizons of locality 4Bgk (–3.4‰), 3Ck (–3.4‰), and 2Bgk2 (–5.7‰) indicated the presence of C3/C4 vegetation mixed in El Arenoso. The oxygen isotopic ratios of the bison (–4.3‰), the horses (–2.6‰), and the mammoth (–5.1‰) show that these animals inhabited an arid environment, consistent with the results from the analyses of paleosols.
Sedimentology, Jul 1, 2024
Cuatro Cienegas is a natural geopark that exhibits a vast reservoir of geological, geochemical an... more Cuatro Cienegas is a natural geopark that exhibits a vast reservoir of geological, geochemical and geobiological diversity, including shallow-water microbial carbonates with clotted micrite textures known as thrombolites. Thrombolites mainly occur as domes and massive irregular carbonates along the margins of Rio Mezquites in Cuatro Cienegas, northern Mexico. Because their clotted textures result from diverse abiotic and biotic interactions at the microbial–mineral interface, the formation of clots in thrombolites continues to be a contentious issue. Through a petrographic, scanning electron microscopy and bulk biogeochemical analysis, this study investigated the role of endolithic cyanobacteria in the generation of thrombolitic clots. Their microclotted fabric is characterized by 50 to 200 lm peloidal clots, pores, fenestrae, crevices and cavities as main components. Thrombolites also contain microbial microstructures, some of them interpreted as the endolithic contribution to the genesis of clotted micrite. Thrombolites and associated fresh microbial mats are composed of cyanobacteria, green algae and diatoms. Petrography and cast-embedded scanning electron microscopy micrographs also show the presence of filamentous endolithic cyanobacteria inside the thrombolitic framestone. The geochemical bulk characterization for carbon and oxygen isotopes shows average values of 0.7& Vienna PeeDee Belemnite and 8.0& Vienna PeeDee Belemnite, respectively. The organic matter preserved in their mineral matrix and associated microbial mats indicated the putative presence of cyanobacterial hopanoids. The high diversity of peloids and the microboring evidence, together with observed microstructures, suggest that clots may also form by the concurrent precipitation and dissolution of the thrombolites. Among the known sources of peloidal clots, microbial boring may be an additional micrite source for clot formation. Microbial carbonate dissolution may also promote heterogenous lithification by hydration and dehydration cycles. Thrombolites reflect complex systems due to concurrent interactions among producers (phototrophs), consumers (small invertebrates), mineralization (carbonate precipitation induced by phototrophs) and endolithic dissolution. The microstructures inside thrombolites, in conjunction with biogeochemical attributes of bulk thrombolites, may provide unambiguous sedimentary biosignatures.
Mineralium Deposita
The Santa María and Antares Zn-Pb(-Ag) skarn deposits in the Velardeña Mining District are locate... more The Santa María and Antares Zn-Pb(-Ag) skarn deposits in the Velardeña Mining District are located in central–NW Mexico. They lie 470 m apart along the contact between Oligocene felsic intrusions and Cretaceous limestones, and were developed during prograde, retrograde, post-ore (Santa María), and late stages. Firstly, the prograde stage was formed by fluids at ~ 600 °C and 15 wt% NaCl equiv., and consists of garnet + wollastonite ± clinopyroxene and biotite ± K-feldspar assemblages. Secondly, the retrograde/ore stage was formed by fluids at 300–500 °C with salinities of 20–30 wt% CaCl2 (Santa María) and > 40 wt% NaCl equiv. (Antares). It comprises assemblages of chlorite, amphibole, epidote, calcite, scapolite, quartz, sericite, adularia, fluorite, and muscovite associated with sphalerite, pyrite, galena, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, and Pb-Bi-Sb sulfosalts. Thirdly, the post-ore stage was formed by fluids at ~ 400 °C and 20–30 wt.% CaCl2 and comprises poorly minerali...
The soils of the Mexican Volcanic Belt are part of ecosystems subjected to strong human impact du... more The soils of the Mexican Volcanic Belt are part of ecosystems subjected to strong human impact during the last six centuries. One measurable characteristic of the soil is the stable carbon isotopic relation of the soil organic matter (SOM) or d13C. The d13C SOM parameter is a genetic characteristic of soil reflecting the relative proportion of C3 and C4 that
Journal of South American Earth Sciences
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
Black paint is common on Remojadas style ceramics of Central Veracruz, Mexico, dating to 100 BCE-... more Black paint is common on Remojadas style ceramics of Central Veracruz, Mexico, dating to 100 BCE-CE 600. An early study considers this paint to be Moraceae latex, with some bitumen. The present study analyzes 20 samples from the site of La Joya, from the Remojadas culture: paint from 14 jars and 5 figurines, and 1 residue of bitumen processing inside a jar, using standard bitumen analysis combining Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry and δ 13 C isotopic values, and compares the results to published data from Gulf Coast oil seeps. The conclusion is that the samples are bitumen without latex added, which probably comes from the same local seep group. The study provides a third set of data for bitumen analysis in the Americas, offering comparable information on this important but little known resource in the ancient cultures of the New World.
Se presenta el primer volumen de resultados de un proyecto interdisciplinario dirigido por Linda ... more Se presenta el primer volumen de resultados de un proyecto interdisciplinario dirigido por Linda R. Manzanilla en el centro de barrio multiétnico de Teopancazco en la porción sureste de Teotihuacan, con el estudio arqueométrico de los fechamientos semiabsolutos del sitio, los de materias primas locales y foráneas (pigmentos, cosméticos, pizarra, moluscos marinos), y la población multiétnica (estudios isotópicos de estroncio 87/86 y de isótopos estables, y de elementos traza para aseverar la paleodieta) . Ganó el Premio Alfonso Caso 2013 a la mejor investigación en arqueología, la mención honorífica del Premio Antonio García Cubas 2013 en edición de libro antropológico.
Antropología Americana, 2022
Es importante conocer el proceso de domesticación, dispersión y uso del maíz, como de otras plant... more Es importante conocer el proceso de domesticación, dispersión y uso del maíz, como de otras plantas cultivables, así como de movilidad geográfica. Los análisis isotópicos en colágeno y bioapatita brindan la posibilidad de contrastar dietas con firmas isotópicas similares, proporcionando una base estadística confiable de diferenciación individual y poblacional sobre las fuentes de proteína específicas de origen vegetal y animal, terrestre o marina.El análisis isotópico de carbono (13C) en colágeno y bioapatita de 20 muestras obtenidas de hueso y dientes humanos procedentes de la cueva de la Sepultura 3050-2850 a. P. (1400-1100 a. C.) indica una amplia y rica variedad dietética producto no solo de cierta movilidad restringida, sino de desplazamientos en un entorno de transición ecológica entre la sierra y la costa, según atestigua el análisis de isótopos de oxígeno (18O), lo que proporciona nuevos datos al problema histórico-cultural y conceptual sobre el incremento del uso del maí...
Paleontological Journal, 2021
The diet of the Clarendonian-early Hemphillian Pliohippus potosinus from the Paso del Águila loca... more The diet of the Clarendonian-early Hemphillian Pliohippus potosinus from the Paso del Águila local fauna, San Luis Potosí, central Mexico, was investigated using carbon and oxygen biogeochemical markers recovered from the dental enamel. Results indicate that P. potosinus was a mixed C3/C4 feeder with an important consumption of C4 plants, and that lived in a savanna. The lithic, structural and palynomorph records show the coexistence there of low lands and savanna plant taxa, quite probably the habitat of P. potosinus and of the camels present in this local fauna, with mountain slopes where forest taxa thrived, and constituted the habitat of cervids, also members of this fauna.
The Southwestern Naturalist, 2016
Abstract We inferred the diet and habitat preferences of three individuals of the dwarf pronghorn... more Abstract We inferred the diet and habitat preferences of three individuals of the dwarf pronghorn Capromeryx mexicana from Cedral, Mexico, using stable isotope analysis and the mesowear method. Both approaches showed that the individuals were C3/C4 mixed feeders which inhabited open forest. These results differ from previous hypotheses that suggested this species only fed on grasses and lived in grasslands.
Boletin De La Sociedad Geologica Mexicana, Dec 1, 2013
The Mexican Fold and Thrust Belt (MFTB) lies on the eastern edge of the Late Cretaceous- Paleocen... more The Mexican Fold and Thrust Belt (MFTB) lies on the eastern edge of the Late Cretaceous- Paleocene Cordilleran Orogen and its evolution can be envisioned through the orogenic wedge model. Its slope averages probably reached 3° during deformation, and after deformation erosion decreased down to 1–1.5°. The deformed stratigraphic sequence consists mainly of carbonate rocks, and includes two marine platforms (named El Doctor and Valles-San Luis Potosí) and two basins (Zimapán and Tampico-Misantla). Pore-fluid pressure played an important role during deformation by reducing tectonic stress, facilitating extensional fracturing, and by enabling mineral dissolution and solution transfer on the grain scale. The determination of d2H and d18O composition of present-day meteoric water helps to evaluate the contribution of meteoric water to pore-fluid active during the buildup of the MFTB. We thus determined the meteoric water line by means of the analysis of 23 samples of rain, cave and river ...
Antropología Americana, Feb 23, 2022
Based on the study of stable isotope analysis to identify the paleodiet in a sample from the arch... more Based on the study of stable isotope analysis to identify the paleodiet in a sample from the archeological site of Chingú (Classic period, 200-650 A.D.) a comparative review was made with the results obtained from similar analyses in several contemporary settlements, mainly residential and administrative compounds of Teotihuacan, but also with sites in the Maya area such as Kaminaljuyu and Altun Ha, among others. The results indicate a clear difference between both regions, since the consumption of a higher proportion of C 3 plants origin food and marine products in the southeastern sites stands out, as opposed to the dependence on maize cultivation observed in the Central Highlands of Mexico.
Antiquity, 2021
Dietary studies can offer insight into the effects of imperial rule on colonised populations. Ink... more Dietary studies can offer insight into the effects of imperial rule on colonised populations. Inka expansion was associated with change in agricultural production and diet, including greater emphasis on maize. This article presents stable isotope analyses of ten individuals from two locations in Antofagasta de la Sierra, Argentina. AMS dating assigns one site to the start of the Inka period and one to the end. Despite diachronic changes in material culture, isotope analyses indicate that maize remained relatively unimportant in local diet. Given the symbolic value of maize in the Inka world, this lack of dietary change suggests limited imperial influence over local agricultural production and diet.
Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 2018
Carbon and oxygen stable isotope values in the dental enamel of fossils were used to infer the di... more Carbon and oxygen stable isotope values in the dental enamel of fossils were used to infer the diet and habitat of the extinct equids Calippus hondurensis, Dinohippus mexicanus, and Protohippus gidleyi, the gomphothere Gomphotherium hondurensis, and the llama Hemiauchenia vera of the Early-Late Hemphillian (Hh2) from San Gerardo de Limoncito, Puntarenas province, Costa Rica. The results suggest that these mammals fed mainly on C 3 plants and lived in clearings of rainforests. This contrasts with previous studies from North America that indicated that the same species lived in forest savannas and fed mainly on C 4 plants, but it is similar to the results obtained from the palynological record of the area, as well as with several vegetation models suggesting the presence of humid tropical forest during the Miocene in Central America.
Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana, 2017
We analyze the variations in isotopic composition of meteoric water along a transect in the Mexic... more We analyze the variations in isotopic composition of meteoric water along a transect in the Mexican Fold-Thrust Belt, located in the central-northeastern part of the Sierra Madre Oriental. The aim is to determine such variations as a function of 1) increasing topographic elevation and 2) the distance of rain inside the continent since evaporation occurrence of oceanic water from the Gulf of Mexico. Topographic and climate characteristics were considered in the studied section, which was chosen because it presents some advantages as follows. Deformation in this section exhibits orogenic wedge features, which generated an average slope between 1° and 1.5°, with no topographic barriers that obstruct the free circulation of wind. This allows us to evaluate significant isotopic variations of H and O as a function of topographic elevation. The section is located at constant latitude between 21° and 22° N. Furthermore, the average annual temperature decreases gradually from the foreland to the hinterland of the section during precipitation periods. Sampling of meteoric water was carried out by installing 12 rainwater collectors at heights between 2740 and 56 masl along the transect. Additionally, water samples were collected in rivers and springs during the 2012 rain season in zones of constant water runoff in 7 different localities. Obtained values from rain water vary between-4.89 and-11.75% for δ 18 O and between-25.35 and-80.34 ‰ for δ 2 H (relative to VSMOW)-These allowed to determine a Local Meteoric Water Line (LMWL) defined by the equation δ 2 H = δ 18 O * 8.15 + 15. With this, fractionation rate relative to elevation for O and H (δ 18 O y δ 2 H) were obtained at 2.19 ‰ km-1 and 17.75 ‰ km-1 , respectively. The LMWL and fractionation rates obtained in this study can be used as regional-scale references in order to evaluate the role of meteoric water involved in atmospheric and shallow cortical processes.