Bone pathologies in a modern collection of guanaco (Lama guanicoe): Contributions to the interpretation of bone lesions in archeological contexts

Abstract

Research on animal paleopathology has significantly grown in the field of zooarchaeology during the last years. Usually bone lesions have been associated to specific activities carried out by animals. However, the etiology and prevalence of many bone abnormalities are still uncertain due to the scarcity of studies in modern reference collections. The aim of this study is to determine the postcranial skeletal lesions that characterize a population of wild camelids and to differentiate bone lesions related to human management of camelids. For this purpose, we analyze the health status of a modern collection of guanaco by recording a series of indicators and its manifestation in different anatomical units. The osteological sample comprises 54 guanacos from Cinco Chañares, San Antonio department, Rio Negro province, Argentina. The frequency of lesions by anatomical unit, sex, and age were studied in order to generate parameters for comparison with other samples of contemporary camelids and with zooarchaeological record. The analyzed sample is characterized by infectious, traumatic, degenerative and congenital abnormalities in low prevalence. The most common pathologies were degenerative origin. These were significantly more frequent among senile adults, and were differentiated of the ones registered among domestic camelids.