Human Life History is Shaping Embodied Medicinal Plant Knowledge Across the Lifespan

In this study, we draw on theoretical frameworks from Life History Theory, and Embodied Capital Theory to assess the role of human life history in shaping local medical systems (LMSs) across the lifespan. We focus specifically on medicinal plants, as they can enhance individual fitness and contribute to overall health. Our central research question is: What role does human life history play in the construction of LMSs? To address this, we conducted an ethnobiological investigation in a small rural mixed-subsistence community in northern Piauí, Northeastern Brazil. We examined four key dimensions: (1) medicinal plant composition and therapeutic targets across the lifespan; (2) embodied medicinal plant knowledge (EMPK) strongly associated with specific life phases; (3) the influence of gender modulated by life history; and (4) medicinal plant knowledge strongly associated with men and women. Our findings indicate that (1) human life history shapes medicinal plant knowledge across the lifespan; (2) certain medicinal plants and therapeutic targets are strongly associated with the reproductive and post-reproductive phases; (3) EMPK between men and women differs only in reproductive phase; and (4) a distinct set of medicinal plants and therapeutic targets is strongly associated with women, but not with men. We argue that human life history structures life-phase-specific patterns of medicinal plant knowledge. These insights provide novel perspectives on how humans construct LMSs and are particularly relevant for understanding the differentiated contributions of men and women to these systems throughout the life course.