Naming a phantom – the quest to find the identity of Ulluchu, an unidentified ceremonial plant of the Moche culture in Northern Peru

The botanical identification of Ulluchu, an iconic fruit frequently depicted in the art of the pre-Columbian Moche culture that flourished from A.D. 100–800 on the Peruvian north coast, has eluded scientists since its documentation in ceramics in the 1930s. Moche fine-line drawings of Ulluchu normally depict seed-pods or seeds floating in the air in sacrificial scenes, associated with runners and messengers or intoxicated priests. It is a grooved, comma-shaped fruit with an enlarged calyx found mainly in fine-line scenes painted on Moche ceramics. The term first appeared without linguistic explanation in the work of pioneer Moche scholar Rafael Larco Hoyle, and the identification of the plant was seen as the largest remaining challenge in current archaebotany at the Peruvian North coast. The name Ulluchu seems to have been coined by Larco. According to his description, the name originated in the Virú River valley, and is supposedly of Mochica origin. However, there is no linguistic evidence that such a term indeed existed in the Mochica or Yunga language

Shadows of the colonial past – diverging plant use in Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador

This paper examines the traditional use of medicinal plants in Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador, with special focus on the Departments of Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Cajamarca, and San Martin, and in Loja province, with special focus on the development since the early colonial period. Northern Peru represents the locus of the old Central Andean "Health Axis." The roots of traditional healing practices in this region go as far back as the Cupisnique culture early in the first millennium BC

Need for Alloparental Care and Attitudes Toward Homosexuals in 58 Countries: Implications for the Kin Selection Hypothesis

Homosexuality is an evolutionary puzzle. Many theories attempt to explain how a trait undermining individual reproduction can be maintained, but experimental testing of their predictions remains scarce. The kin selection hypothesis (KSH) is an important theoretical framework to account for the evolution of human homosexuality, postulating that its direct cost to reproduction can be offset by inclusive fitness gains through alloparental assistance to kin. Consistent evidence in support of the KSH has only been garnered from research on Samoan fa’afafine (i.e. feminine, same-sex attracted males), whereas research in numerous industrialized societies has repeatedly failed to secure empirical support for the theory. Here, we propose an alternative test of the KSH by investigating how need for alloparental care influences women’s attitudes toward homosexuality (AtH). AtH would influence the likelihood of women receiving alloparental care from homosexual kin. We applied logistic regression analysis to a large dataset (17,295 women in 58 countries) derived from the World Values Survey. As predicted by the KSH, women who are potentially most in need of alloparental support exhibit significantly more positive attitudes toward homosexuals. For single mothers who expressed parental care concerns, each additional child mothered was associated with an increase of 1.24 in their odds of exhibiting positive attitudes toward homosexuals. Our study is the first to provide circumstantial evidence in support of the KSH on a global scale

Offspring Production among the Extended Relatives of Samoan Men and Fa'afafine

Androphilia refers to sexual attraction to adult males, whereas gynephilia refers to sexual attraction to adult females. Male androphilia is an evolutionary paradox. Its development is at least partially influenced by genetic factors, yet male androphiles exhibit lower reproductive output, thus raising the question of how genetic factors underlying its development persist. The sexual antagonism hypothesis posits that the fitness costs associated with genetic factors underlying male androphilia are offset because these same factors lead to elevated reproduction on the part of the female relatives of androphilic males. Western samples drawn from low fertility populations have yielded inconsistent results when testing this hypothesis. Some studies documented elevated reproduction among the matrilineal female kin of androphilic males, whereas others found such effects in the paternal line. Samoa is a high-fertility population in which individuals reproduce closer to their maximum capacities. This study compared the reproductive output of the paternal and maternal line grandmothers, aunts, and uncles of 86 Samoan androphilic males, known locally as fa'afafine, and 86 Samoan gynephilic males. Reproductive output was elevated in the paternal and maternal line grandmothers, but not aunts or uncles, of fa'afafine. These findings are consistent with the sexual antagonism hypothesis and suggest that male androphilia is associated with elevated reproduction among extended relatives in both the maternal and paternal line. Discussion focuses on how this study, in conjunction with the broader literature, informs various models for the evolution of male androphilia via elevated reproduction on the part of female kin

Dépôts funéraires d’amphisbénidés ou “serpents à deux têtes” sur la plate-forme Uhle, Huacas de Moche, Pérou.

International audienceFourteen animal species have been identified in Mochica tombs (100-800 A.D.). Among them the discovery of amphisbaenids, a group of reptilesknown in South America as “culebras de dos cabezas” (two-headed snakes), stands as a new fact. Rests of Amphisbaena sp., in particular A. occidentalis, the only species actually present in this area, were found in five tombs of the Uhle’s Platform at Huacas de Moche site. This constitutes the first occurrence of these reptiles in Precolumbian archaeological sites from the western slope of the Andean Cordillera. The amphisbaenids were discovered in jars sitting by the side of the dead, indicating that they were intentional deposits and not intrusive vestiges. Amphisbaenids offerings are also known in North-West Argentina, in the Ciénaga culture (2000-1400 BP), and during the periods of Regional Development, Inca and Hispano-Natives (800-250 BP). This kind of offerings thus does not constitute an isolated cultural phenomenon, but should clearly be regarded within a wider temporal and space context. The Mochica iconographic register brings additional details and seems to indicate that these animals could have a link with death and sacrifice, but also with the Milky Way. The discovery of these taxa brings new data for nderstanding their ritual role and symbolic function in Mochica culture tombs.Catorce especies animales fueron identificadas en las tumbas mochicas (100-800 d.C.). Entre ellos, el descubrimiento de anfisbenios, un grupo de reptiles conocidos en América del Sur como «serpientes o culebras de dos cabezas», es un hallazgo nuevo. Restos de Amphisbaena sp., en particular A. occidentalis, la única especie actualmente presente en esta área, fueron encontrados en cinco tumbas de la Plataforma Uhle en el sitio Huacas de Moche. Esto constituye la primera mención de estos reptiles en sitios arqueológicos precolombinos de la vertiente occidental de la Cordillera de los Andes. Los anfisbénidos fueron descubiertos en cántaros colocados al lado de los muertos, lo que indica que eran depósitos intencionales y no vestigios intrusivos. Se conocen también ofrendas de anfisbénidos en el noroeste de Argentina, en la cultura Ciénaga (2000-1400 BP), y durante los períodos de Desarrollo Regional, Inca e Hispano-Indígena (800-250 BP). Este tipo de depósitos no constituye unfenómeno cultural aislado, pero debe considerarse dentro de un contexto temporal y espacial más amplio. El registro iconográfico mochica aporta detalles adicionales y parece indicar que estos animales podrían tener un vínculo con la muerte y el sacrificio, pero también con la Vía Láctea. El descubrimiento de estos taxones ofrece nuevos datos para la comprensión de su papel ritual y de su función simbólica en las tumbas de la cultura Mochica.Quatorze espèces animales ont été identifiées dans les tombes mochicas (100-800 apr. J.-C.). Parmi eux, la découverte d'amphisbénidés, un groupe de reptiles connue en Amérique du Sud comme «culebras de dos cabezas» (serpent à deux-têtes), se présente comme un fait nouveau. Les restes d’Amphisbaena sp., en particulier A. occidentalis, la seule espèce actuellement présente dans cette zone, ont été trouvés dans cinq tombes de la Plate-forme Uhle sur le site de Huacas de Moche. Ceci constitue la première occurrence de ces reptiles dans des sites archéologiques précolombiens du versant ouest de la Cordillère des Andes. Les amphisbénidés ont été découverts dans des jarres,déposées à côté des corps des morts, indiquant ainsi qu’il s'agissait de dépôts intentionnels et non de vestiges intrusifs. Les offrandes d’amphisbénidés sont également connues dans le nord-ouest de l’Argentine, dans la culture Ciénaga (2000-1400 BP), et pendant les périodes de Développement régional, Inca et Hispano-Indigène (800-250 BP). Ce type d’offrandes ne constitue donc pas un phénomène culturel isolé, mais doit clairement être considérée dans un contexte temporel et spatial plus large. Le registre iconographique Mochica apporte des détails supplémentaires et semble indiquer que ces animaux pourraient avoir un lien avec la mort et le sacrifice, mais aussi avec la VoieLactée. La découverte de ces taxons apporte de nouvelles données pour la compréhension de leur rôle rituel et de leur fonction symbolique dans les tombes de la culture Mochica