the presence of Irara (Eira barbara) in archaeological, ethnographic and paleontological sites in Brazil

A presence of Irara (Eira barbara) in sites in Brazil

Abstract

Mustelids have a wide geographical distribution and varied habitats. The Brazilian territory has five species of this family, observed in paleontological, archaeological and ethnographic sites. The tayra, Eira barbara, is an omnivorous, forested mustelid and needs a large area of ​​life. The present work deals with the occurrences of tayras in paleontological and archaeological sites and in the Guajá site, in addition to commenting on general anatomical characteristics of the skull and bones. As it is an arboreal animal, the presence in paleontological sites is rare. Studies at the Guajá site have shown that the consumption of tayras occurs in indigenous communities, but in archaeological sites the occurrences are very few and restricted to bone parts that have not been studied much.