RESEARCH ARTICLE
First Phalanx Morphometrics Reveals Camelid Morphotype Variability at Los Batanes (11th/12th c. ce), Southern Coastal Peru
Ruoyu Zhu,
Sarah Kennedy,
Arturo F. Rivera Infante,
Sarah I. Baitzel,
Corresponding Author
Ruoyu Zhu
Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
Correspondence:
Ruoyu Zhu ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorSarah Kennedy
Archaeology and Latin American Studies, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, USA
Search for more papers by this authorArturo F. Rivera Infante
Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Search for more papers by this authorSarah I. Baitzel
Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRuoyu Zhu,
Sarah Kennedy,
Arturo F. Rivera Infante,
Sarah I. Baitzel,
Corresponding Author
Ruoyu Zhu
Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
Correspondence:
Ruoyu Zhu ([email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorSarah Kennedy
Archaeology and Latin American Studies, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, USA
Search for more papers by this authorArturo F. Rivera Infante
Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Search for more papers by this authorSarah I. Baitzel
Department of Anthropology, Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 17 July 2025
Funding: This work was supported by Washington University in St. Louis, including the Department of Anthropology, SURA–WUSTL (Zhu), and the George R. Throop Endowment Award (Zhu); and by the National Science Foundation (NSF-SBE 2050528, Baitzel/Kennedy).
ABSTRACT
Archaeological excavations at Los Batanes in the Sama Valley (southern Peru) have brought to light a newly founded diasporic settlement following the demise of the Tiwanaku State (ca. 500–1000 ce). Previous research has suggested that the residents practiced a multiresource agropastoral subsistence strategy, with South American camelids (SACs) serving as the primary large mammals. Native to the Andean highlands, camelids at Los Batanes (500 masl) highlight the need to evaluate which species were herded in the hyperarid coastal desert of southern Peru to elucidate their economic function. In this study, we analyze camelid first phalanges from Los Batanes using established morphometric techniques and compare our results with reference datasets derived from modern camelid species. Our findings reveal significant morphometric variability in camelids from Los Batanes, with sizes spanning the range of extant SAC species. The predominance of large-sized camelids in the sample, alongside evidence of small and intermediate forms, shows a diversified morphotype selection by ancient agropastoralists. These results indicate the presence of more than one camelid species or breed. This study provides critical baseline data on species diversity, advancing our understanding of pre-Hispanic herding practices and camelid uses in the hyperarid coastal environments.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Open Research
Data Availability Statement
The data are available through this paper and Supporting Information.
Supporting Information
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| oa70015-sup-0001-Supplementary_Data.xlsxExcel 2007 spreadsheet , 46.4 KB |
Data S1. Modern reference data for bivariate plots. Data S2. Raw data for principal component analysis. Data S3. Raw data for geometric mean. |
| oa70015-sup-0002- Supplementary_Materials.docxWord 2007 document , 628.5 KB |
Table S1. Measurements (mm) of camelid first phalanges from Los Batanes. Table S2. Mean (M), standard deviation (SD), and coefficient of variation (CV) of measurements M1—M5 for front (n = 26) and hind (n = 23) camelid first phalanges from Los Batanes. Figure S1. Measurements M2/M3 (in mm) of front first phalanges, comparing samples from Los Batanes (black dots) with reference datasets (K = Kent [1982], G = Gasco [2012]). Figure S2. Measurements M1/M3 (in mm) of front first phalanges, comparing samples from Los Batanes (black dots) with reference datasets (K = Kent [1982], G = Gasco [2012]). Figure S3. Measurements M2/M3 (in mm) of hind first phalanges, comparing samples from Los Batanes (black dots) with reference datasets (K = Kent [1982], G = Gasco [2012]). Figure S4. Measurements M1/M3 (in mm) of hind first phalanx comparing samples from Los Batanes (black dots) to the reference datasets (K = Kent [1982], G = Gasco [2012]). |
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
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