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The Non-Random Selection of Medicinal Plants Theory: a Case Study of a Kichwa Community in the Ecuadorian Amazon
| Title: | The Non-Random Selection of Medicinal Plants Theory: a Case Study of a Kichwa Community in the Ecuadorian Amazon. |
 4325 views 120 downloads |
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| Name(s): |
Robles Arias, Daniela M., author Fadiman, Maria, Thesis advisor Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor Charles E. Schmidt College of Science Department of Geosciences |
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| Type of Resource: | text | |
| Genre: | Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation | |
| Date Created: | 2018 | |
| Date Issued: | 2018 | |
| Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University | |
| Place of Publication: | Boca Raton, Fla. | |
| Physical Form: | application/pdf | |
| Extent: | 124 p. | |
| Language(s): | English | |
| Summary: | The non-random selection of medicinal plants theory, which states that phylogeny affects the selection of medicinal plants, was proposed by Daniel Moerman to indirectly prove that traditional medicinal systems are rational and based in part by the therapeutic efficacy of plants. The logic of this theory is that because members of a taxonomical group share similar characteristics, some groups will be more medicinal and will be over-used in pharmacopoeias, while other groups bereft of secondary metabolites and therapeutic potential will be under-used medicinally. To test this theory, Moerman linearly regressed the total number of medicinal plants per family against the total number of plants per family present in an area and examined residual values to find over-used and under-used medicinal plant families. The method has been praised for its simplicity. Nonetheless, shortcomings have been noted and criticized, inspiring researchers to propose new procedures to test for phylogenetic biases in pharmacopoeias. Negative Binomial regression and examination of studentized residuals, the method used in this investigation, ameliorates the original one with a few corrections, conserving the simplicity and solving for all the criticized flaws. Also, this study incorporated different sociodemographic factors to determine if the intracultural homogeneity of traditional knowledge affects the results of the non-random selection of medicinal plants theory analysis. By testing Moerman’s theory, which is one of Ethnobotany’s major theories, this investigation is in agreement with the call to have more hypothesis-driven research within a theoretical framework to continue to advance the Ethnobotany field. | |
| Identifier: | FA00013000 (IID) | |
| Degree granted: | Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. | |
| Collection: | FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection | |
| Note(s): | Includes bibliography. | |
| Subject(s): |
Medicinal plants Ethnobotany Ecuador Amazon River Region |
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| Held by: | Florida Atlantic University Libraries | |
| Sublocation: | Digital Library | |
| Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013000 | |
| Use and Reproduction: | Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder. | |
| Use and Reproduction: | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | |
| Host Institution: | FAU | |
| Is Part of Series: | Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections. |
