Module 35: Agricultural Origins and Diffusions

Module 35: Agricultural Origins and Diffusions

LG Learning Goals

  • 35-1 Define domestication.
  • 35-2 Identify the early hearths of domesticated plants and animals.
  • 35-3 Explain the global patterns of diffusion for domesticated plants and animals.

35-1: Domestication

  • Definition of Domestication: The long-term process through which humans selectively breed, protect, and care for individuals taken from populations of wild plant and animal species to create genetically distinct species, known as domesticates.

  • Differences between Plant and Animal Domestication:

    • Plant Domestication: Involves the selection and cultivation of specific plant species that are beneficial or desirable to human populations.
    • Animal Domestication: Involves breeding animals that are helpful to humans, often for work (like oxen for plowing) or companionship (like dogs).

  • Historical Context:

    • First Agricultural Revolution: This period marks the beginning of agriculture, characterized by the domestication and diffusion of plants and animals and the cultivation of seed crops.

  • Significance of Biodiversity:

    • Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability among species and ecosystems. It facilitates the domestication process by providing various vegetative raw materials for experimentation and breeding.

Example of Plant Domestication

  • Teosinte and Maize:
    • Teosinte is a large wild grass from Mexico that produced small ears of maize (corn). Early Mesoamerican peoples started domesticating teosinte, which eventually transformed into modern corn.
    • Early domesticated teosinte produced small ears of corn less than 1 inch long, roughly one-tenth the size of modern maize, which became a staple in their diet due to its value.

35-2: Early Hearths of Domesticated Plants and Animals

  • Definition of Hearth: A center where innovations or new practices develop and from which these innovations or practices spread.

Ancient Hearths of Domestication

  • Carl Sauer's Theory:

    • Sauer proposed that domestication developed independently in regions where people had sufficient food resources to settle and dedicate time to caring for plants.

  • Examples of Early Hearths:

    • Fertile Crescent: Located in Southwest Asia, this area includes the river valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates and is considered the earliest center of seed plant domestication.
    • Indus River Valley: Encompasses area along Indus River flowing from Tibet down through Pakistan and India, known for early domestication of both plant and herd animals (e.g., cattle).
    • Major Regions: Southwest Asia, China, Mesoamerica, the Andes, and Africa are identified as key areas of domesticated plants and animals.

35-3: Global Patterns of Diffusion for Domesticated Plants and Animals

  • Columbian Exchange Definition: The interaction and widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, disease, and ideas between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Key Components of the Columbian Exchange:

From the Americas to Afro-Eurasia:

  • Domesticated Plants:

    • Potatoes, corn (maize), sweet potatoes, cassava, tomatoes, pineapples, avocados, beans (kidney, navy, lima), peanuts, cacao, chili peppers, vanilla, sunflowers, tobacco, quinine, and turkey.

  • Animals:

    • Turkeys were unique to the Americas.
From Afro-Eurasia to the Americas:

  • Domesticated Plants:

    • Wheat, rice, barley, oats, rye, bananas, olives, sugar cane, citrus fruits, coffee beans, apples, peaches, and pears.

  • Animals:

    • Cattle, pigs, horses, chickens, sheep, rats, honeybees.

  • Diseases:

    • Diseases like bubonic plague and smallpox traveled from Afro-Eurasia, contributing to significant population declines in the Americas.

Modern Diffusions:

  • The process of diffusing crops and innovations continues. It involves understanding indigenous technical knowledge and cultural significance of these crops.
  • Unintended Consequences: Innovations can lead to crises, e.g., the Irish Potato Famine, where reliance on a single crop was disastrous.

Summary and Review

  1. Domestication: The process that creates domesticates through selective breeding and care.
  2. First Agricultural Revolution: Initiated systemic agriculture through domesticated plants and animals.
  3. Carl Sauer's Theory: Domestication arose in food-rich environments fostering experimental plant care.
  4. Biodiversity: Critical for successful plant and animal domestication; enables varied species for breeding.
  5. Key Hearths: Fertile Crescent, Indus River Valley, Mesoamerica, and the Andes as major centers for domestication.
  6. Columbian Exchange: A significant period of exchange that shaped the global patterns of agricultural dynamics and interaction between continents.