4 ms·
I should add: A Peruvian buddy of mine told me that aboriginal Inca people historically have chewed coca leaves when laboring (carrying stuff, plowing, etc) at
by OliverJones 10y ago
I should add: A Peruvian buddy of mine told me that aboriginal Inca people historically have chewed coca leaves when laboring (carrying stuff, plowing, etc) at high altitude. It enables them to live and work at high altitude. My hypothesis: Coca and Humanity co-evolved in the Andes. Maybe a paleogeneticist knows how to disprove, or prove, that hypothesis.
- martindelemotte 10y agoNo paleogeneticist here but from what I know from : Andean people benefit from a genetic adaptation to high altitude and don't need coca leaves (Himalayan people also benefit from a different genetic adaptation). It does make work more enjoyable though. Also, coca was reserved to higher classes in the past so laborers probably didn't have access to it. [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca#History