"The book is successful in bringing out the present status of actualistic taphonomic research in South America. ... Actualistic Taphonomy in South America represents a really good book worth reading by anyone interested in taphonomy, paleontology, ecology, or archaeology of South America. I feel that it will serve as a primary reference for new researchers working on the taphonomic record of South American flora and fauna for years to come." (Devapriya Chattopadhyay, Ameghiniana, Vol. 58 (1), 2021)
1. Marine benthic biodiversity record in intertidal death assemblages of Punta Mejillón, Patagonia, Argentina. Fernando Archuby & Andrea Roche2. Glycymeris bivalve shells as tools for paleoenvironmental reconstruction in Golfo San Matías (Patagonia, Argentina). M. Sol Bayer, Gisela A. Morán, Enrique M. Morsán & Sandra Gordillo
3. Shells and stoves, some time later… Laura Beovide, Marcos Lorenzo & Sergio Martínez
4. Expanding the scope of Actualistic Taphonomy in archaeological research. Karen Borrazzo
5. Actualistic Taphonomy of freshwater mollusks from the Argentine pampas: an overview of recent research progress. Claudio G. De Francesco, Eleonor Tietze, Paula A. Cristini & Gabriela S. Hassan
6. Taphonomical analysis of rodent traces. Paula Dias
7. Taphonomic and stratigraphic potential of recent bioclastic deposits: the case of Southern Brazil Shelf. Fernando Erthal & Matias Do Nascimento Ritter
8. Perceptions on Actualistic Paleontology in four distinct areas of energy supply along the coast of the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Paraná, Brazil. Renato Ghilardi, Maria Clara da Silva Pinto & Sabrina Coelho Rodrigues
9. A Gauchos landscape: Archaeological inferences from actualisitic taphonomic transects in the Humid Pampas of Argentina. María A. Gutiérrez, Cristian A. Kaufmann, María C. Álvarez, Agustina Massigoge, Daniel J. Rafuse, Nahuel Scheifler & Mariela E. González
10. Actualistic taphonomy of diatoms: implications for the understanding of the Holocene record in Pampean shallow lakes. Gabriela S. Hassan, Claudio G. De Francesco & Marisel C. Díaz
11. Actualistic taphonomy in northern Santa Cruz plateau (Argentina). Advances, archaeological implications, and future agenda. Laura Marchionni, Laura L. Miotti, María A. Gutiérrez, Darío O. Hermo, Bruno H. Mosquera, Lucía A. Magnín, Cristian Kaufmann, M. Clara Álvarez & Eloisa García Añino.
12. Invasive species, a natural experiment in Actualistic Taphonomy. Sergio Martínez, Alejandra Rojas, Fernanda Cabrera y Diego Antuña
13. Hypersalinity effects in the fossilization of insects from the early Cretaceous of NE Brazil. Actualistic experimentation. Marcio Mendes, Francisco Irineudo Bezerra de Oliveira, Daniel Rodrigues do Nascimento Jr., Wellington Ferreira da Silva Filho
14. Actualistic Taphonomy of plant remains in tropical forests of southeastern Brazil. Fresia Ricardi-Blanco
15. The fossil, the dead and the living: mollusc biogeographic ranges in the Uruguayan coast. Alejandra Rojas & Sergio Martínez
Highlighting the latest research on Actualistic Taphonomy (AT), this book presents the outcomes of a meeting that took place in Montevideo, Uruguay, in October 2017. Its respective chapters offer valuable insights into South American archaeology, invertebrate and vertebrate fauna, and flora.
In recent years, there has been a surge of new research on AT, as evidenced by numerous papers, talks, theses, etc. However, there are still very few AT books or even dedicated journal articles. Reflecting the discipline’s newfound maturity, this book, written by South American authors, offers a unique resource for academics and students of Paleontology, Geology, and Biology around the world.