Historically, manatees (Trichechus manatus) were abundant in the coastal and inland waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic coast of Central America, the West Indies, and northwestern Brazil. In Mesoamerica, they were distributed along the Gulf coast and the coasts of the Yucatan Peninsula, inhabiting a wide variety of salt and brackish water habitats, lakes, and inland rivers. Although marine and freshwater fauna provided resources for food and other purposes, we know little about the importance of manatees and other aquatic mammals to ancient pre-Columbian peoples. Because these species are relatively easy to catch, the overexploitation of manatees since colonial times, coupled with the relentless and accelerating destruction of the ecosystems they inhabit, has seriously threatened their survival. Although they were hunted in pre-Hispanic times, bone material from these herbivores is very scarce at archeological sites in the region, and information is limited to a few specimens. We argue that a possible reason for this is that bones were discarded at butchering sites due to their weight, and only those that were needed were then transported.