The guinea pig puzzle
QUESTION Where was the last place in the world that guinea pigs lived in the wild? Contrary to its name, the guinea pig ( Cavia porcellus) comes not come from Guinea in West africa but from the andean region of South america.
Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela all had wild populations.
there are several theories which try to explain how it came by its common name: one is that ‘guinea’ is a corruption of Guiana (Guyana) — although guinea pigs aren’t native to that region. another is that the animals were brought to Europe by way of West african ports on what was known as the ‘Guinea run’.
no less mystery surrounds the ‘pig’ part of their name: is it because of their piglike squeaks, or because they were originally exported from South america for their meat?
Guinea pigs may have been one of the most important food sources in ancient Peru from Inca times and even before that. they were domesticated for their meat, and selective breeding resulted in variations in flavour, as well as coat colour, pattern and texture.
their small bones mean they’re not often found among archaeological remains, making it difficult to discover when the animals were first domesticated.
Some Peruvian archaeologists argue that the rodents’ domestication may have begun as early as 5000 BC in the altiplano region of southern Peru and Bolivia. Here populations still exist of wild cavy ( Cavia tschudii), the Montane guinea pig, which is very similar to its domesticated cousin.
Evidence from the Chavin de Huantar archaeological site in the north- central highlands of Peru shows guinea pigs were definitely being domesticated and eaten by 900 BC. Similar evidence of cavy breeding on the coastal plain of Ecuador dates from at least 500 BC and in the Moche valley of Peru in 200 BC. We can possibly date Cavia porcellus as a distinct species from this area and time.
Several other wild species bear the name guinea pig. the Brazilian guinea pig ( Cavia aperea) is found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Bolivia, northern argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, as well as Brazil.
the rare Moleques do Sul guinea pig ( Cavia intermedia) is named after the 25-acre island of the same name, in Santa Catarina, Brazil. the shiny guinea pig ( Cavia fulgida) is found in coastal areas of south-eastern Brazil and the greater guinea pig ( Cavia magna) is found in southern Brazil and Uruguay.
Jessica Morrison, Exeter. QUESTION Further to the worst song titles (Answers), what are the worst album titles? My faVoUrItE is Beyonce Knowles’s 2006 effort B’Day (sounds like ‘bidet’ — tee-hee!) and oasis’s Standing on the Shoulder of Giants is bizarre (why only one shoulder?)
Steps’s Steptacular is anything but and John oates’s 2002 solo effort was the appalling Phunk Shui (if partner Daryl Hall had been about he would no doubt have vetoed it).
Elton John’s Captain fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy doesn’t feel right, nor does Charlotte Church’s 2005 offering tissues and Issues.
Prog rockers Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s clumsy stab at surrealism Brain Salad Surgery falls flat on its face, as does Genesis’s from Genesis to revelation.
Point of Know return by american rock band Kansas is a pointless pun, the Butthole Surfers — Hairway to Steven is a horrible one and rEo Speedwagon’s you Can tune a Piano But you Can’t tuna fish is just ridiculous.
the latter band also released albums under the various titles the Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken and not So Silent night: Christmas With rEo Speedwagon.
Salt-n-Pepa’s album a Salt With a Deadly Pepa recalls the cringeworthy joke ‘two peanuts were walking down the street. one was a-salted’.
Even the finest artists have had their failures: Paul McCartney’s Kisses on the Bottom was puerile and t. rex’s debut was the dreadful My People Were fair and Had Sky In their Hair . . . But now they’re Content to Wear Stars on their Brows.
never one to shy away from a little pretentiousness, the Police’s third album Zenyatta Mondatta means top of the World in Sanskrit and alanis Morrissette’s Supposed former Infatuation Junkie is an annoying name
But neither of them could possibly hold a candle to the full title of fiona apple’s 1999 album — When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He thinks Like a King What He Knows throws the Blows When He Goes to the fight and He’ll Win the Whole thing ‘fore He Enters the ring there’s no Body to Batter When your Mind Is your Might So When you Go Solo, you Hold your own Hand and remember that Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If you Know Where you Stand, then you Know Where to Land and If you fall It Won’t Matter, Cuz you’ll Know that you’re right. Rowan Morris, Hawick, Borders. QUESTION Who was the first foreign leader to make a state visit to the U.S.? It WaS King David Kalakaua, elected leader of the Hawaiian Islands, who made a diplomatic mission from his home nation to Washington DC from november 17, 1874 to february 20, 1875. His tour was the first visit to Washington of a foreign chief of state or head of government.
the official portion of his visit took place between December 12 and 23 when he met President Ulysses S. Grant and was given the very first full state banquet held at the White House.
the purpose of his mission was to negotiate a reciprocity treaty with the U.S. to allow the duty-free sale of Hawaiian sugar there, while in return Hawaii permitted american agricultural and manufactured goods to enter the Hawaiian Islands duty-free.
Kalakaua was born David La’amea Kamananakapu Mahinulani naloiae-huokalani Lumialani Kalakaua and was often dubbed the Merrie Monarch for his love of pleasure.
During his reign, hula was revived, reversing the ban placed on it in 1830 by Queen Ka’ahumanu after she converted to Christianity. the fun- loving King Kalakaua had his own personal choir, the Kalakaua’s Singing Boys, and was also known for reviving surfing and the Hawaiian martial art of Kapu Kuialua.
the first European head of state to visit the U.S. was Prince albert I of Monaco in 1913. the first British Prime Minister to make a formal visit to the U.S. was ramsay MacDonald in 1929 and 1933.
the first British monarch to visit was George VI in 1939.
Adam Beyno, Southampton.