Community of macroparasites of the Pacific barracuda Sphyraena ensis Jordan and Gilbert, 1882 (Perciformes, Sphyraenidae) from the north coast of Peru

This study aimed to report the community of macroparasites of the Pacific barracuda Sphyraena ensis Jordan and Gilbert, 1882 (Perciformes, Sphyraenidae) from the north coast of Peru. From September to October 2019, 138 specimens of S. ensis were acquired from Caleta de Zorritos, Contralmirante Villar Province, Tumbes, on the north coast of Peru. The community of parasites found consisted of nine species of parasites including monogeneans, copepods, trematodes and nematodes. The total body length of the fish was negatively correlated with the mean intensity of infestation of Pseudochauhanea sp. The mean abundance of Pseudochauhanea sp. also showed a marked significant difference between the populations of male and female fish, being more associated with males. We provide a list of macroparasites recorded in fish of the genus Sphyraena in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Checklist dataset published through GBIF (Doi: 10.15470/5htffh)

Community of macroparasites of the Pacific barracuda Sphyraena ensis Jordan and Gilbert, 1882 (Perciformes, Sphyraenidae) from the north coast of Peru

This study aimed to report the community of macroparasites of the Pacific barracuda Sphyraena ensis Jordan and Gilbert, 1882 (Perciformes, Sphyraenidae) from the north coast of Peru. From September to October 2019, 138 specimens of S. ensis were acquired from Caleta de Zorritos, Contralmirante Villar Province, Tumbes, on the north coast of Peru. The community of parasites found consisted of nine species of parasites including monogeneans, copepods, trematodes and nematodes. The total body length of the fish was negatively correlated with the mean intensity of infestation of Pseudochauhanea sp. The mean abundance of Pseudochauhanea sp. also showed a marked significant difference between the populations of male and female fish, being more associated with males. We provide a list of macroparasites recorded in fish of the genus Sphyraena in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Checklist dataset published through GBIF (Doi: 10.15470/5htffh)

The earliest adobe monumental architecture in the Americas

Adobe bricks, or mud bricks, are construction elements which have defined major architectural traditions in the Andes over thousands of years. From Moche pyramids and the ancient city of Chan Chan in pre-Hispanic times, to Spanish casonas of the colonial period and rural houses in contemporary South America, adobe has been a central component in Andean architecture. Discovery of the remains of an early monumental building constructed primarily of adobes at Los Morteros (lower Chao Valley, north coast of Peru) places the invention of adobe architecture before 5,100 calendar years B.P. The unique composition, internal structure, and chronology of the adobes from Los Morteros show the beginnings of this architectural technique, which is associated with El Niño rainfall and the construction of the earliest adobe monumental building in the Americas. We propose that adobe architecture became a major Andean tradition after a long period of technical evolution and experimentation with both shape and composition.

Two (Missing) Left Feet

Understanding pre-Hispanic Andean medical practices through skeletal evidence of surgery has been the focus of a number of bioarchaeological investigations in recent years. Amputation is an especially interesting topic of research due to the variety of social contexts in which it might have occurred. Interpretations for amputation found on the north coast of Peru have included therapeutic intervention, punitive measures, and ritualistic dismemberment. Here, we present two new cases of successful left foot amputation in young adult females excavated from Huaca Las Balsas (Late Intermediate Period, A.D. 1100–1470) and Huaca Las Abejas (Late Horizon, A.D. 1470–1535) at the ancient religious and administrative center of Túcume. Chronologically, they are the latest cases of pre-Hispanic amputation published to date. Contextual evidence supports a therapeutic motivation for the procedure, as individualized burial treatment and placement within a cemetery group of social elites is not consistent with punitive or ritualistic action. Modification of the malleoli, extensive bone proliferation covering the talar articulations, and asymmetrical cortical bone thickness of the tibiae and fibulae (revealed radiographically) suggest the return of some functional mobility using the affected limb after healing. This long-term recovery is evidence of access to quality medical care and accommodation of functional impairment within the amputees’ communities. The presented research uses the bioarchaeology of care to explore the lived experiences of these amputees and their social identities, making an important contribution to the anthropology of disability across cultures and time periods. Comprender las prácticas médicas andinas prehispánicas a través de evidencia esquelética de cirugía ha sido el foco de una serie de investigaciones bioarqueológicas en los últimos años. La amputación es un tema de investigación especialmente interesante debido a la variedad de contextos sociales en los que podría haber ocurrido. Las interpretaciones para la amputación que se encuentran en la costa norte del Perú han incluido la intervención terapéutica, las medidas punitivas y el desmembramiento ritual. Aquí, presentamos dos nuevos casos de amputación exitosa del pie izquierdo en hembras adultas jóvenes excavadas desde Huaca Las Balsas (PeríodoIntermedio Tardío, A.D. 1100–1470) y Huaca Las Abejas (Horizonte Tardío, D.C. 1470–1535) en el antiguo centro religioso y administrativo de Túcume. Cronológicamente, son los últimos casos de amputación prehispánica publicados hasta la fecha. La evidencia contextual apoya una motivación terapéutica para el procedimiento, ya que el tratamiento y la colocación individualizados del entierro dentro de un grupo cementerio de élites sociales no es consistente con la acción punitiva o ritualista. La modificación de los maléolos, la extensa proliferación ósea que cubre las articulaciones talares y el grosor óseo cortical asimétrico de las tibias y los peronés (revelados radiográficamente) sugieren el regreso de cierta movilidad funcional utilizando la extremidad afectada despuésde la curación. Esta recuperación a largo plazo es evidencia del acceso a atención médica de calidad y alojamiento de deterioro funcional dentro de las comunidades de amputados. La investigación presentada utiliza la “bioarqueología de la caridad” para explorar las experiencias vividas de estos amputados y sus identidades sociales, haciendo una contribución importante a la antropología de la discapacidad a través de las culturas y períodos de tiempo.