The northern coast of the San Jorge Gulf, Atlantic Patagonia, is recognised as a marine biodiversity hot spot and is designated as a priority conservation area. Among marine mammals, three species of pinnipeds inhabit the region. While South American sea lions ( Otaria flavescens) have a higher abundance and a larger number of colonies than South American fur seals ( Arctocephalus australis), a few individuals of the Southern elephant seal ( Mirounga leonina) reside in the region. Nevertheless, little is known about the abundance and distribution of these pinnipeds before the 18th century, when various extractive activities became widespread, including the unregulated exploitation of furs and oil. This study aims to examine whether the distribution and relative abundance of ancient pinnipeds differ from present-day populations. To achieve this, we conducted inter-specific identification of pinniped bone remains coming from archaeological assemblages dated from 6000 to 600 14C years BP and reviewed historical sources to contrast these retrospective data with modern ecological literature. The results suggest changes over time in the relative abundances of species within the pinniped community. The relative abundance of fur seals was greater than or equal to that of sea lions in most Late-Holocene pinniped assemblages. Additionally, fur seals have been recorded in historical and Late-Holocene periods in places where they are currently very rare. These findings are consistent with the higher relative abundance of fur seals recorded in other archaeological sites along the Patagonian coast, suggesting that modern distribution and abundance have been heavily affected by commercial hunting. This study contributes to a better understanding of the nature and magnitude of the anthropic impact on the marine ecosystem of the northern coast of the San Jorge Gulf. It also provides historical baseline information to strengthen conservation policies and restoration efforts.

中文翻译：

---

全新世晚期以来圣豪尔赫湾北岸（阿根廷巴塔哥尼亚中部）鳍足类的历史生态

圣豪尔赫湾北岸、大西洋巴塔哥尼亚被公认为海洋生物多样性热点地区，并被指定为优先保护区。在海洋哺乳动物中，该地区栖息着三种鳍足类动物。虽然南美海狮 (Otaria flavescens) 比南美毛皮海豹 (Arctocephalus australis) 拥有更高的丰度和更多数量，但该地区也栖息着少数南象海豹 (Mirounga leonina)。然而，在 18 世纪之前，人们对这些鳍足类动物的丰度和分布知之甚少，当时各种采掘活动变得普遍，包括不受管制的毛皮和石油开采。这项研究旨在研究古代鳍足类动物的分布和相对丰度是否与当今种群不同。为了实现这一目标，我们对来自 6000 年至 600 年考古组合的鳍足类骨骼遗骸进行了种间鉴定14C 年 BP 并回顾了历史资料，将这些回顾性数据与现代生态文献进行对比。结果表明，鳍足类群落内物种的相对丰度随着时间的推移而发生变化。在大多数全新世晚期的鳍足类动物群中，海狗的相对丰度大于或等于海狮的相对丰度。此外，在历史时期和全新世晚期，在目前它们非常罕见的地方也有海狗的记录。这些发现与巴塔哥尼亚海岸其他考古遗址记录的海狗相对丰度较高的结果一致，表明现代分布和丰度受到商业狩猎的严重影响。这项研究有助于更好地了解人类活动对圣豪尔赫湾北岸海洋生态系统影响的性质和程度。它还提供历史基线信息以加强保护政策和恢复工作。