Overview
- Published March 10 in Nature Communications, the study analyzes elite Pachacamac burial ornaments to reconstruct the movement and use of parrot feathers in pre-Inca Peru.
- Ancient DNA from 25 feathers identifies four Amazonian species—scarlet macaw, red-and-green macaw, blue-and-yellow macaw, and mealy Amazon—far outside their native rainforest range.
- Isotope profiles show a coastal maize and marine diet, indicating the birds were transported alive over the Andes and kept long enough to moult new feathers.
- Relatively high genetic diversity across samples points to repeated sourcing from wild populations rather than a small local breeding colony.
- Least-cost path modeling highlights probable trans-Andean corridors, including a northern route linked to Chimú regions and central mountain passages, revealing organized long-distance exchange networks before the Inca.