Was Amazonia Really Tamed by PreColumbian Natives?

Comment on Clement et al. 2015 ‘The domestication of Amazonia before European conquest’

Authors:

McMichael et al

Extract:

Clement et al. [1] paint a picture of cultural landscapes blanketing Amazonia prior to European arrival to the Americas in their recent publication entitled ‘The domestication of Amazonia before European conquest’. A colourful narrative indeed, but here we would like to comment on their misinterpretation of previously published literature, use of data that may not be associated with pre-Columbian activities, and the extrapolative nature of their review both in time and across space.