LAUSR

En este trabajo presentamos las evidencias arqueologicas en relacion a la extincion de la fauna pleistocenica en Patagonia meridional. Los sitios con componentes pleistocenicos estudiados para esta zona son Cueva Tunel y Casa del Minero 1 ubicados en la localidad arqueologica La Maria. Estos sitios muestran la contemporaneidad de los primeros pobladores colonizadores de Patagonia con varias especies extinguidas : Hemiauchenia cf. paradoxa, Lama gracilis, Panthera onca mesembrina, Hippidion saldiasi, Megatherium cf. americanum y Arctotherium sp. Ademas de Lama guanicoe, Rhea sp ., Lycalopex griseus y Lycalopex sp., que senalan para esta area diversidad paleoambiental, diferentes funcionalidades de sitios y de patrones de uso de fauna, para la transicion Pleistoceno-Holoceno. Asimismo destaca la utilizacion y consumo de las tres especies de camelidos y la supervivencia de Hippidion saldiasi en ambientes particulares de la meseta. Estos temas son discutidos con la informacion presente referida a primeras ocupaciones humanas del Cono Sur, en el marco de una creciente superacion metodologica que procura integrar diferentes vias de investigacion.  ABSTRACT We present archaeological evidence from the Central Plateau of Santa Cruz regarding the extinction of the Pleistocene fauna. The Pleistocene sites analyzed for this area are Cueva Tunel and Casa del Minero. They are located in La Maria archaeological locality. These sites show the contemporaneity between the first settlers of Patagonia and several extinct species: Hemiauchenia cf. paradoxa, Lama gracilis, Panthera onca mesembrina, Hippidion saldiasi, Megatherium americanum cf. and Arctotheirum sp. Present fauna such as Lama guanicoe, Rhea sp. , Lycalopex griseus and Lycalopex sp. is also contemporary. All the information points to the fact that southern Patagonia had paleoenvironmental diversity, plurality of sites and different use patterns of wildlife during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. The use and consumption of the three species of camelids and the survival of Hippidion saldiasi in specific environments of the plateau is also highlighted. These issues are discussed taking into account available information relating to the early human occupation of the Southern Cone, as part of a growing methodological improvement that seeks to integrate different research avenues.