Ancient Amazonian People Fed Ducks Over 1,000 Years Ago, Remains Reveal [Video]

An analysis of ancient human and animal remains suggests that pre-colonial peoples in the Bolivian Amazon likely fed ducks more than a 1,000 years ago, a study reports.

The research, published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, also indicates that these populations were largely reliant on maize agriculture during certain periods.

Taken together, these findings cast light on how ancient humans interacted with Amazonian ecosystems, while providing direct evidence for the management of animals in pre-colonial times.

Over the past decade or so, multidisciplinary research has transformed our understanding of the history of the Amazon Basin. Previously, the region was seen as largely unfavorable for food production and large-scale human societies in ancient times.

But recent studies have started to uncover evidence for the existence of low-density urban societies, as well as the domestication and management of various plant species—such as cassava, squash, sweet potatoes, yams and, in particular, maize—in certain areas of the forest stretching back thousands of …