The art demonstrates symbolic and aesthetic capacity.

The betel nut use demonstrates the human propensity for seeking and sustaining pleasurable or useful pharmacological states.

Together, they paint a picture of Ice Age modern humans in Sulawesi who were painting caves and managing their neurochemistry through plant use — who were, in other words, living richly human lives in ways that connect directly to modern human experience.

The Pharmacological Significance: Muscarinic Receptors And Why They Matter

The muscarinic acetylcholine receptors at which arecoline acts are not peripheral players in human neurobiology.