Genetic studies of various Prosopis species (Leguminosae, Section Algarobia) co- occurring in oases of the Atacama Desert (northern Chile)

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 (HO = 0.61, Ar = 3.5) and low but significant genetic differentiation among populations (FST = 0.128, FST- ENA = 0.129, DJOST = 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.Fil: Bessega, Cecilia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Génetica y Evolución. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; ArgentinaFil: Pometti, Carolina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Génetica y Evolución. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; ArgentinaFil: Fortunato, Renee Hersilia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Morón. Facultad de Agronomía y Ciencias Agroalimentarias; ArgentinaFil: Greene, Francisca. San Pedro de Atacama, ChileFil: Santoro, Calogero M. Universidad de Tarapacá. Instituto de Alta Investigación; ChileFil: McRostie, Virginia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Escuela de Antropología. Centro del Desierto de Atacama; Chil

Búsqueda de nexos entre prácticas funerarias del período alfarero temprano del centro de Chile y usos etnográficos del "Miyaye"

Este trabajo pretende incentivar la búsqueda de elementos que permitan dar una mayor profundidad temporal a las manifestaciones rituales de la población originaria de Chile. A través del estudio de un aspecto del contexto funerario del sitio arqueológico El Mercurio de los grupos Llolleo de Chile central, presentamos evidencias de una planta psicoactiva (Datura stramonium) que fue utilizada en los ritos mortuorios vinculados principalmente a los niños. La información etnográfica del uso de esta planta en la tradición mapuche permite establecer relaciones altamente sugerentes de una continuidad cultural desde el período alfarero temprano hasta la actualidad

Búsqueda de nexos entre prácticas funerarias del período alfarero temprano del centro de Chile y usos etnográficos del "Miyaye"

Este trabajo pretende incentivar la búsqueda de elementos que permitan dar una mayor profundidad temporal a las manifestaciones rituales de la población originaria de Chile. A través del estudio de un aspecto del contexto funerario del sitio arqueológico El Mercurio de los grupos Llolleo de Chile central, presentamos evidencias de una planta psicoactiva (Datura stramonium) que fue utilizada en los ritos mortuorios vinculados principalmente a los niños. La información etnográfica del uso de esta planta en la tradición mapuche permite establecer relaciones altamente sugerentes de una continuidad cultural desde el período alfarero temprano hasta la actualidad

13,000 years of sociocultural plant use in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile

Throughout Earth's most extreme environments, such as the Kalahari Desert or the Arctic, hunter-gatherers found ingenious ways to obtain proteins and sugars provided by plants for dietary requirements. In the hyperarid Atacama Desert, wild plant resources are scarce and unevenly distributed due to limited water availability. This study brings together all available archaeobotanical evidence gathered in the Atacama Desert from the Late Pleistocene (ca. 13,000 cal bp) until the Inka epoch (ca. 450 cal bp) to help us comprehend when these populations acquired and managed useful plants from the coastal zone, Intermediate Depression, High Andes, as well as tropical and subtropical ecosystems. Widespread introduction of farming crops, water control techniques and cultivation of diverse plants by 3,000 cal bp ended not only a chronic food shortage, but also led to the establishment of a set of staple foods for the Atacama Desert dwellers, a legacy that remains visible today. By contrasting these trends with major sociocultural changes, together with palaeodemographic and climatic fluctuations, we note that humans adapted to, and transformed this hyperarid landscape and oscillating climate, with plants being a key factor in their success. This long-term process, which we term the "Green Revolution", coincided with an exponential increase in the number of social groups inhabiting the Atacama Desert during the Late Holocene.12 month embargo; published online: 6 May 2020This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Genetic studies of various Prosopis species (Leguminosae, Section Algarobia) co-occurring in oases of the Atacama Desert (northern Chile)

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 (HO = 0.61, Ar = 3.5) and low but significant genetic differentiation among populations (FST = 0.128, FST-ENA = 0.129, DJOST = 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.Fil: Bessega, Cecilia Fabiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; ArgentinaFil: Pometti, Carolina Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; ArgentinaFil: Fortunato, Renée Hersilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación de Recursos Naturales. Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; Argentina. Universidad de Morón; ArgentinaFil: Greene, Francisca. San Pedro de Atacama; ChileFil: Santoro Delgado, Conrado Maria. Universidad de Tarapaca. Instituto de Alta Investigación; ChileFil: McRostie, Virginia. Fundación Desierto de Atacama; Chile. Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chil

<i>Prosopis</i> sections seed pods collected by the authors in northern Chile.

<p>Scale bar represents 1 cm. a) cf. <i>Prosopis alba</i>; b) cf. <i>Prosopis flexuosa</i>; c) cf. <i>Prosopis chilensis</i>; d) <i>Prosopis tamarugo</i>.</p

The pre-Columbian introduction and dispersal of Algarrobo (<i>Prosopis</i>, Section Algarobia) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile - Fig 2

<p>(A). The modern distribution of <i>Prosopis alba</i> (black dots) and <i>P</i>. <i>flexuosa</i> (red dots) section Algarobia in central South America (GBIF Secretariat: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. doi:<a href="http://doi.org/10.15468/39omei" target="_blank">10.15468/39omei</a>. Accessed via <a href="http://www.gbif.org/species/5358452" target="_blank">http://www.gbif.org/species/5358452</a> on 2017-04-10; <a href="http://www.gbif.org/species/5358528" target="_blank">http://www.gbif.org/species/5358528</a> on 2017-04-10). Note the widespread distribution in NW Argentina, eastern Paraguay and southern Bolivia compared to the distribution in northern Chile. (B) Algarrobos growing in an oasis of the Atacama Desert (C) Archaeological and palaeoecological sites dated in this study, see also <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0181759#pone.0181759.s004" target="_blank">S3 Table</a> (1. Lluta 13; 2. Tiliviche 1B; 3. Guatacondo 4. Ramaditas; 5. Quebrada de Maní 6. Caleta Huelén 42; 7. Loa W3; 8. Loa River; 9. Salado River/El Sifón; 10. Salado River/Las Juntas; 11. Chiu Chiu 200; 12. Confluencia 1; 13. Confluencia 2; 14. Chiu Chiu Cementerio; 15. Calar 1; 16. Talabre Viejo; 17. Tarajne; 18. Vegas de Tilocalar; 19. Finca Chañaral).</p

Atacama Desert Algarobia section species.

<p>Atacama Desert Algarobia section species.</p

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

<div><p>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 (<i>Prosopis</i> 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.</p></div