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Hydroclimatic variability drove human-megafauna-environment interactions during the late Pleistocene/Early Holocene in central Chile.

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Title: Hydroclimatic variability drove human-megafauna-environment interactions during the late Pleistocene/Early Holocene in central Chile.
Authors: Frugone-Álvarez, Matías1,2 (AUTHOR) matutefrugone@gmail.com, Labarca, Rafael3 (AUTHOR), Aranbarri, Josu4 (AUTHOR), Briceño, Matías5 (AUTHOR), Villacís, Leonardo A.6,7 (AUTHOR), Godoy-Aguirre, Carolina3 (AUTHOR), Delgado-Huertas, Antonio8 (AUTHOR), Blanco, José9 (AUTHOR), Latorre, Claudio10,11 (AUTHOR), González-Guarda, Erwin12 (AUTHOR), Villavicencio, Natalia12 (AUTHOR), Tornero, Carlos13,14 (AUTHOR), Iriarte, José15 (AUTHOR), Valero-Garcés, Blas16 (AUTHOR)
Source: Global & Planetary Change. Sep2025, Vol. 252, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subjects: Westerlies, Ecosystem dynamics, Ecological disturbances, Holocene Epoch, Social interaction
Abstract: Major environmental changes were occurring when the first modern humans arrived in South America during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. How these changes shaped human-environmental interactions across this period remains unclear. We analyzed the stratigraphy, biogeochemistry, and paleoclimatic models of the Ancient Tagua Tagua Lake (ATTL) in central Chile, one of the few continuous records of human and megafauna interactions with their environment in South America, to reconstruct the ATTL's ecosystem dynamics over the past 20,000 years. The results reveal that the ATTL transitioned from a shallow, cool lake with storm-driven alluvial deposition to a warmer, deeper, and more productive lake about 12,500 years ago, aligning with the arrival of early humans. The ATTL became wetter but experienced severe droughts between 11,000 and 8,500 years ago, linked to shifts in Southern Westerly Winds and ENSO-like patterns. Fluctuating conditions drove humans and fauna to seek refuge in the basin, emphasizing local paleohydrology's role in shaping early human–ecosystem interactions. • A 20 ka Tagua Tagua Lake record unveils earliest climate–human feedbacks in central Chile. • Multiproxy proxies reveal ecological and cultural refugia at the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. • Orbital forcing, ENSO-like, SWW and PSJ events shaped late Pleistocene hydroclimate. • Multiproxy evidence documents human–megafauna co-occurrence during abrupt hydroclimatic changes. • Early Holocene (12.5–8.6 ka BP) featured enhanced moisture and ENSO-driven pulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:Major environmental changes were occurring when the first modern humans arrived in South America during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. How these changes shaped human-environmental interactions across this period remains unclear. We analyzed the stratigraphy, biogeochemistry, and paleoclimatic models of the Ancient Tagua Tagua Lake (ATTL) in central Chile, one of the few continuous records of human and megafauna interactions with their environment in South America, to reconstruct the ATTL's ecosystem dynamics over the past 20,000 years. The results reveal that the ATTL transitioned from a shallow, cool lake with storm-driven alluvial deposition to a warmer, deeper, and more productive lake about 12,500 years ago, aligning with the arrival of early humans. The ATTL became wetter but experienced severe droughts between 11,000 and 8,500 years ago, linked to shifts in Southern Westerly Winds and ENSO-like patterns. Fluctuating conditions drove humans and fauna to seek refuge in the basin, emphasizing local paleohydrology's role in shaping early human–ecosystem interactions. • A 20 ka Tagua Tagua Lake record unveils earliest climate–human feedbacks in central Chile. • Multiproxy proxies reveal ecological and cultural refugia at the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. • Orbital forcing, ENSO-like, SWW and PSJ events shaped late Pleistocene hydroclimate. • Multiproxy evidence documents human–megafauna co-occurrence during abrupt hydroclimatic changes. • Early Holocene (12.5–8.6 ka BP) featured enhanced moisture and ENSO-driven pulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:09218181
DOI:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.104876