Faunal assemblages from Paleoindian, Early Archaic, and Middle Archaic sites are compared to evaluate changes in diet related to hot and dry Altithermal conditions in the North American Great Plains. Successful completion of this comparison requires that site function and seasonality be controlled. These criteria place serious restrictions on the number of site assemblages suitable for analysis, consequently the site sample is relatively limited. Notwithstanding the limited sample, provocative results are obtained. Preliminary statistical analysis suggests significant changes in diet breadth associated with increased emphasis on medium-sized terrestrial fauna and nonmammalian fauna such as fish, amphibians, and birds during the Altithermal. Although these results are based on a limited sample of sites, and must therefore be regarded as preliminary, they do suggest that hunter-gatherer responses to major climatic shifts may be accomplished by minor adjustments in faunal resource use.
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