Holocene biodiversity of marine invertebrates on the south-central Andean coast (14°–26° S): A large-scale archaeological assessment

Abstract

This study presents a large-scale comparative analysis of marine invertebrate biodiversity from 104 coastal archaeological sites between 14° and 26° S along the South American Pacific coast. By integrating taxonomic, chronological, and spatial data spanning the Late Pleistocene to the Late Holocene, the research identifies a consistent biogeographic boundary around 20° S. Patterns in species richness, diversity, and habitat representation (rocky, sandy, subtidal, and seaweed-gathering proxies) reveal that bioavailability and environmental gradients structured both spatial and temporal trends in shellfish exploitation. The Middle Holocene marks the consolidation of maritime adaptations, coinciding with increased paleoproductivity and the development of specialized fishing and gathering practices. Despite taphonomic and reporting biases, correspondence analyses demonstrate that latitude is a stronger determinant than chronology in shaping archaeomalacological assemblages. These results highlight the role of environmental processes in the long-term formation of coastal economies and the diversity of maritime lifeways along the south-central Andean coast throughout the Holocene.