Abstract

CAJAL, Jorge; TONNI, Eduardo P.  and  TARTARINI, Viviana. The extinction of some south american camelids: the case of Lama (Vicugna) Gracilis. Mastozool. neotrop. [online]. 2010, vol.17, n.1, pp.129-134. ISSN 0327-9383.

Lama (Vicugna) gracilis (Gervais and Ameghino, 1881) is a Camelidae that inhabited the low plains of Argentina and Uruguay during the Pleistocene and early Holocene. Considering that Lama gracilis was a vicariant of L. vicugna in the low plains, sympatry cases between Lama guanicoe and Lama vicugna are analyzed to test the hypothesis that considers the competence for the same resource as the cause of extinction of Lama gracilis. It is concluded that the reduced populations of L. gracilis were forced to extinction especially by hunting pressure of paleoindian groups.

Keywords : Camelidae; Extinction; Pleistocene; South America.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English     · English ( pdf )