GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL
SECTION II
EXAM
Starting on 14 November 2011, there will be an online discussion on section two ("The Rise and Spread of Food Production") that will end on 28 November 2011. Your comments will be posted on a daily basis and are allowed to make only one comment a day! Each ACCEPTED comment must come from a different chapter within section two of Guns, Germs, and Steel, and will be worth 20 points. You are highly encouraged to discuss and argue opinions so long as they are backed by textual reference.
Note: Complete by Monday, 28 November 2011.
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Carlos De León
Social Studies Department Chair
Luther Burbank High School
123 comments:
(G.G.S ch 4) In Chapter 4 the farmhands were members of the Blackfoot indian tribe named Levi. Theses people behaved very diffrently from the other coarse miners, like being polite, gentle, responisble, sober and well spoken for themselfes (G.G.S 85). Why were they so m,uch different from all the other people? Did they keeps themselves isolated from the others? Later on in the chapter it says that different people acquired food production at different times in the history. Their food production was a development of Guns, Germs, and Steel.
In the Human Socities possessing domestic animals, livestock feed more people in four ways. They were furnishing meat, milk, and fertilizer and also by pulling plows (G.G.S 86-88)
The idea of domesticating wild animals and plants and eating the resulting crops (food production) began within the last 11,000 years (GGS CHAP 4 pg 86) as a result daily movement, activity, and hunthing was lowered. Food production allowed humans to settle in one single area and at the same time receive more food. Humans choose only edible plants that would supply nutrition for their families. The selection of these edible plants and the growing of crops helped farmers obtain an amount of edible calories larger than that of which the previous hunther-gatherers obtained. (GGS CHAP 4 pg 88) So the transformation from a hunther-gatherer to a farmer had a positive effect. What if food production was never practiced? If hunther-gatherers continued in search of ONLY edible wild plants, the possibility to sustain and have enough food to feed their families would be lower than that of farmers. Also hunther-gatherers would be risking their lives, because they faced many challenges out in the wild. One problem is wild animals that could harm and even kill humans. Another problem is poisonous wild plants that could bring diseases and in the worst case death. Overall the practice of food production lowered the risks taken by hunther-gatherers, and brought stability for families, as well as a rise in specializations.
Food production not only gave people stability, it also determined which societies would conquer others. Those societies that first developed food production were the first to lead sedentary lives since they no longer needed to follow herds or search for fruits to eat. As a result of this, denser population arose with specialists, large animals began getting domesticated, and epidemics spread among these people. (GGS ch4 p. 86,89) .These things allowed the societies of the first food producers to overpower others who were still hunters and gathers. They now had organized political systems with soldiers equipped with large animals like horses for transportation and more advanced metal weapons.(GGS ch4 p.90,91) Furthermore their soldiers would have built a resistance against germs having already been exposed to them by the plants and animals they had domesticated, while hunter-gatherers wouldn’t have this immunity and would be wiped out.(GGS ch4 p.92) All of these factors gave food producing societies an advantage over other less advanced civilizations and allowed them to be the conquerors instead of the conquered.
The transformation from hunther-gatherers to farmers was seen in only certain places and at very different periods of time. Before the introduction of food production (about 11,000 years ago) all people on earth were hunther-gatherers (GGS CHAP 6 page 104) Why didnt all the people in the world become food producers? Why was the adoption of food production seen only in some areas and at different times? Most importantly, why did some hunther-gatherers never adopt the idea of growing crops in a single area and relying on that produced food?
In many cases hunther-gatherers were better off out in the wild and in search of food. They were so acustomed to this practice that adopting food production would take them time, practice and also change their whole ways of living. For this reason they remained as hunther-gatherers.
The adoption of food production was seen only in some areas and at different times. Hunther-gatherers did not discover or invent food production, but the idea evolved with unconcious decisions taken (GGS CHAP 6 page 106). The adoption was seen in many areas depending on how effectively and fertile that region was, which led to the ultimate decision of wether or not to practice food production. This shos how many areas never supported farming.
Based on the results of practicing growing crops, hunther-gatherers adopted food production or just remained out in the wild.
The geographic differences shows that their food production rose in a very puzzling way (G.G.S pg 94). In very few places they would develope domesticated plants and animals. But in other places thses plants and animlas were imported to them. Archaeologists have dated the food production by radiocarbon dating of the carbon-contaning materials at the site (G.G.S pg 95). This method they used is based on the slow decay of the radioactive carbon 14, which was a minor componet carbon. Its very intresting on how they would fin these types of things about plants and animals.
After hunther-gatherers became farmers they needed to choose wild plants in order to domesticate them. The process by which farmers chose wild plants was very complex and involved different criteria. The main three criteria used by farmers were: Size, taste and aspects of seeds. (GGS CHAP 7 pp. 117-119) First of all size of crops and fruits attracted many farmers. The larger the fruits were the more probability farmers would want to domesticate them.Second, taste also was a factor of selection. If a fruit was sweet it would make farmers want to domesticate and make more of that crop. However if a fruit was bitter then a farmer would consider that crop not useful. Finally, aspects of seeds also contributed to wether ot not a certain wipd crop would be chosen to be domesticated. A seedless fruit for example, would lower the difficulty of farmers being able to eat it. Farmers preferred this. Why were the physical aspects of a wild plant not a good reliable source??
After farmers examined the mutations of many wild plants the results affected the final decision if they would domesticate them or not. (GGS CHAP 7 pp 120- 122) Most domesticated wild crops in the end would be ones that would grow rapidly, give large supply of product, and be reliable for farmer needs.
(G,G,S CHAP 4)Domesticated animals helped societies grow in big numbers in many ways. Animals helped humans whith the feeding of more people, plant production, and the increase of food production.In pg.88 it said, "In human societies pocessing domestic animals, livestock feed more people in four distinct ways: by furnishing meat, milk, and fertilizer and by pulling plows." Hunter gatherers were small in population because they yielded little food than farmers in human populations, these farmers were able to yield more food because of domesticated animals."All those are direct ways in which plant and animal domestication led to denser human populations by yielding more food than did the hunter gatherer style."Pg.89
Just as farmers chose what wild plants to domesticate, they also had to chose animals. In order to receive help in their agricultural system, farmers needed to domesticate useful wild animals. The selection of these animals,however, was not an easy thing to do. There were many details that made alot of animals not domesticable. Also, animals that were domesticated needed to have a good relationship with their owners. The same as wild plants, farmers used criteria to determine which animals best suited their way of living and would help with their needs. The lack of good characteristics possessed by many wild animal species didnt qualify them to be domesticated. Failed domestication was because ot six main groups of reason: diet, growth rate, problems of captive breeding, nasty disposition, tendency to panic and social structure.(GGS CHAP 9 pp.169- 173) The diet of many wild animal species was fundamentally inefficient,thus not making them useful. Also the growth rate of several species was to slow to reach adult size which was needed to help in agricultural work. Problems in breeding was another deffect. Nasty dispositions like injuring humans mafe candidates to domesticaton fail. The tendency for some animals to panic dod not go in favor of farmers. Finally the social structure of several wild species created a problem. For these main six reasons many animals wrrent domesticated. In the end the only domesticated species were those who would have a good companionship with farmers and ones who made work much easier.
Just as farmers chose what wild plants to domesticate, they also had to chose animals. In order to receive help in their agricultural system, farmers needed to domesticate useful wild animals. The selection of these animals,however, was not an easy thing to do. There were many details that made alot of animals not domesticable. Also, animals that were domesticated needed to have a good relationship with their owners. The same as wild plants, farmers used criteria to determine which animals best suited their way of living and would help with their needs. The lack of good characteristics possessed by many wild animal species didnt qualify them to be domesticated. Failed domestication was because ot six main groups of reason: diet, growth rate, problems of captive breeding, nasty disposition, tendency to panic and social structure.(GGS CHAP 9 pp.169- 173) The diet of many wild animal species was fundamentally inefficient,thus not making them useful. Also the growth rate of several species was to slow to reach adult size which was needed to help in agricultural work. Problems in breeding was another deffect. Nasty dispositions like injuring humans mafe candidates to domesticaton fail. The tendency for some animals to panic dod not go in favor of farmers. Finally the social structure of several wild species created a problem. For these main six reasons many animals wrrent domesticated. In the end the only domesticated species were those who would have a good companionship with farmers and ones who made work much easier.
Just as farmers chose what wild plants to domesticate, they also had to chose animals. In order to receive help in their agricultural system, farmers needed to domesticate useful wild animals. The selection of these animals,however, was not an easy thing to do. There were many details that made alot of animals not domesticable. Also, animals that were domesticated needed to have a good relationship with their owners. The same as wild plants, farmers used criteria to determine which animals best suited their way of living and would help with their needs. The lack of good characteristics possessed by many wild animal species didnt qualify them to be domesticated. Failed domestication was because ot six main groups of reason: diet, growth rate, problems of captive breeding, nasty disposition, tendency to panic and social structure.(GGS CHAP 9 pp.169- 173) The diet of many wild animal species was fundamentally inefficient,thus not making them useful. Also the growth rate of several species was to slow to reach adult size which was needed to help in agricultural work. Problems in breeding was another deffect. Nasty dispositions like injuring humans mafe candidates to domesticaton fail. The tendency for some animals to panic dod not go in favor of farmers. Finally the social structure of several wild species created a problem. For these main six reasons many animals wrrent domesticated. In the end the only domesticated species were those who would have a good companionship with farmers and ones who made work much easier.
Sedentary societies had major advantage over nomadic tribes.People in sedentary populations gave birth to more children than nomads. Unlike farmers, nomads had to travel with their children. These had to wait around three to four years so the toddlers could walk. Farmers could have as many children as they could feed. Food surpluses lead to specialization. To govern larger groups, people had to create better types of governments such as monarchy and bureaucracy. (GGS Ch. 4 Pgs. 89)
Very few parts of the world developed plant domestication independently.These main areas include the Fertile Crescent, Mesoamerica , Eastern U.S, and China. In other words, plant domestication was adopted by other groups of peoples from other groups who had already developed it.For example, crops such as wheat and barley who had been previously domesticated by societies from the fertile crescent were later cultivated by people of the Indus Valley.The ideas of plant domestication were adopted by hunters and gatherers voluntarily. Plant cultivation was also brought by foreigners who took over land by invasion. GGS Chapter 5 pgs.99,101,103.
The rate of spread of crops and livestock in Eurasia and the Americas differed. For example from the Philippines east to Polynesia (eurasia) the rate of spread was 3.2 miles per year and the rate of spread per year from Mexico to U.S. (the americas) was .3 miles.(GGS CHAP 10 pp 178) Why was the spread of crops and animals faster in Eurasia?? The axis orientation of both these continents affected the rate of spread and productiveness of crops. Eurasia's axis is east to west and The America's axis is north to south. For this reason most of Eurasia's land had the same latitude, but the latitude in the americas changed from south to north. Having similar latitude across Eurasia's land meant that temperatures and climate stayed the same year round. This affected how effectively crops were grown and spread. If a crop was sent east to west, it would have the climate needed for its normal growth. There would be no difficulty growing a variety of crops in different areas because the latitude remained the same. In the other hand, the change in latitude in the Americas brought many difficuties for the spreading and growing of crops. When a crop was sent from south to north, the temperature would change from hot to cold, thus creating a problem due to the fact that southern crops were used to that temperature. Axis orientation benefitted both in a positive (for eurasia) and negative way (for the americas). The change in latitude brought struggle in growing and spreading of crops and animals, however, when latitude was the same throughout land it made it easier and more productive.
(G,G,S Chapter 6 )Around 8500 B.C people adopted food production and became food producers, food production is better than being a hunter gatherer because being a hunter gatherer takes more time and is more harsh. “ scientists used to quote a phrase of Thomas Hobbes’s in order to characterize the lifestyle of hunter-gatherers as, “ nasty, brutish, and short.” Pg. 104 Then how did food production evolve? “ It evolved as a product of decisions made without awareness of the peoples consequences.” Pg.106 And why was there a divide between hunter gatherers and sedentary food producers if food production was better than hunting and gathering? “ Because, sedentary food producers probably made up a much higher fraction of hunter-gatherers 15,000 years ago, when all inhabited parts of the world( including the most productive areas) were still occupied by hunter gatherers, than they do today, when the few remaining hunter gathers survive only in unproductive areas where nomadism is the sole option.” Ever since food production started, it was very helpful to humans because food production was dependent on technologies for collecting, processing, and storing wild foods.
Farmers were very important in some lands culture. Mos farmers would be the supplier to get food for army (GGS chapter 4 pg 90), howeve some farmers had to give up food as a part of tax. Most farmers started to domesticate animals so that they can help them in their farming (GGS chapter 4 pg 88). SOme had to domesticate plants so that they can be grown to make more food so that they make a living by selling crops. Farmers also had to make new invention, one was a way to water crops during a dry season. They were very helping to theircity/empire econmics.
Centuries ago, as people started transitioning from being hunter-gatherers, they started adopting a food producing farming lifestyle. but there were challenges to becoming farmers. As stated in Ch 6 of GGS the first farmers were smaller in number and less well nourished than their hunter-gatherer counterparts. they spent more hours of the day working and lived half as long as hunter gatherers. so then, why did people adopy farming if they didn't live as long as hunter-gatherers? because just as farming had its problems so to did hunting and gathering. for instance, women had to time their pregnacies (GGS Ch.4)so they had lower birthrates. sometimes they did't kill or gather enough food to support the tribe. and in some parts of the world hunting and gathering was just not sucessfu to begin with.
The reason why people started to to farm was to have a more productive lifestyle. Hunters and gatherers abandoned their lifestyle when they realized that hunting wild game was less rewarding.Another reason why agriculture was adopted was due to the depletion or natural resources. For example, when the Polynesians arrived to New guinea and other islands, they exterminated seal, sea and land bird populations. Since these animals were not available to them, people had to rely on feeding on domesticated animals such as chickens. It is unclear how population affected food production. When populations increased, people turned to agriculture to increase food production and sustain larger groups.Others believe that the agriculture increased food production and and led to higher populations. GGS ch. 6 pgs. 110-111
In chapter 5 of( G.G.S.). The question is not why agriculture and domestic animals did not apear in areas totally unsuitable for it's climate and why did it take so long for it to travel to other areas. Southwest asia has the earliest definite dates plants around 8500 BC and animals around 8000 BC. It las later on around 6000 years later after that when other people get thease plants and animals. All the other civilizations had to survive on what was around them till they got the change.
(G.G.S. Chapter 4) In this chapter Jared Diamond emphasizes the importance of food production, and how the domestication of wild animals and plants led to the improvement of human lifestyles. The nomads, or hunter-gatherers, had more of a difficult time growing in population then the sedentary people did due to them frequently moving in search of wild food. Not having plenty or enough resources to support a large group/tribe was only one reason they did not have a large population. Another reason is the mothers would only give birth after around four years of giving birth to their previous child to allow that child to learn to walk and keep up with the tribe so they could focus on the new born and not worry about the older child to be left behind or get lost. (G.G.S. Chapter 4 Page 89) The groups or tribes that settled down and learned to domesticate animals and plants to where they had livestock and crops, sedentary people, were more successful. They had a larger population then that of the hunter-gatherers because they could raise as many children as they could feed not worrying about the time in between each birth or if they had enough food to support a larger group. Although the sedentary did have some problems, they still had more of a positive outcome on man-kinds future of simpler ways to live and the forming of small towns that eventually led to kingdoms, civilized life, and more organized political systems then the nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes did. (G.G.S. Chapter 4 Page 90)
The first humans to become food producers did so independently with no one’s example to follow and soon spread this new practice to neighboring hunters and gatherers who were willing to adopt it (GGS ch.5 p 98, 101). Although food production had its benefits, there were some humans who refused to give up their old lifestyle as hunter-gatherers. They saw farmers as ignorant and would rather keep their own practices because of matters of prestige and cultural preferences like considering some foods delicacies and others taboo. (GGS ch.6 p108) This proved to be a grand mistake because food producers gained advantages over those who had chosen to remain hunter-gatherers and ended up displacing them. (GGS. ch.6 p112)
not only was domestication important to farming and being able to eat plant that were ounce posinious but also in the domestication of animals. with the domestication of animals we were able to use them as an energy source for such inventions like the plow and we were also able to use them as means of transportation. (GGS chapter 4,pg 88)
CHAPTER 8, I learned that the Fertile Crescent was very helpful to humans because it was the perfect place to grow crops. Many humans grew crops there because of the good climate ,(One advantage of the Fertile Crescent is that it lies within a zone of so called Mediterranean climate, a climate characterized by mild, wet winters and long, hot, dry summers. Pg.136.)Another advantage about the Fertile Crescent is that it was the earliest center of food production in the world.( As we have seen, one of them, the Fertile Crescent, was perhaps the earliest center of food production in the world, and the site of origin of several of the moderns world’s major crops and all of its most major domesticated animals. Pg. 134) Does it mean that the Fertile Crescent has a lot of wild species? Yes, the Fertile Crescent has many plant species, ( Pg. 136, A second advantage of the Fertile Crescent flora is that the wild ancestors of many Fertile Crescent crops were already abundant and highly productive, occurring in large stands whose value must have been obvious to hunter-gatherers.) Then how many advantages did the Fertile Crescent have that were very important and helped it? One advantage the fertile crescent had was that it lied within the zone of the Mediterranean climate ( Pg. 136), the second advantage was that its crops were already abundant and highly productive( Pg.136), the third advantage was that it includes a high percentage of hermaphroditic “ selfers”- that is plants that usually pollinate themselves but that are occasionally cross-pollinated Pg.137
In chapter 4 it talks about how the human race was advanced with the help of domesticated plants and animals. Some of the benefits of domesticating plants and animals is the availability of more consumable calories means more people(G.G.S. 87-88). Because of this instead of looking for their food they just grew it and because of this they can have larger families because it would be easier to feed them. Another way it helped was that they can use domesticated animals for more than food. They use the animals to work in their field, carry their packs, help traveling, provide fertilizer, and their most direct contribution to wars of conquest.(G.G.S. 91)
(GGS. CH 8) In the chapter, titled, "Apples or Indians", we see that the prodution of food began in places where there were plants and animals being domesticated. Agriculture never arose independently in some fertile areas however. The reason behind this could be because there was a lack of suitable wild plants (GGS, pp.131). Later in the chapter it discusses that the rise of food production in the Fertile Crescent had occured in Mediterranean climate which consisted of mild, wet winters and long, dry hot summers. (GGS, pp.136) Well regions such as this varied in climate as well as domesticable species. The main reason why it took time for food production to take off was because of the lack of wild plant and animal species available to the region's people. (GGS, pp.155) So the title was asking what was the reason for failure of the domestication of apples in North America for the Native Americans at the time. Was it because of the apples or indians that the apples didnt grow? It was simply because of a lack of available plant and animal species. (GGS, pp. 156)
Chapter 7 Hot To Make an Almond
In nature fruits are used to attrack animals so that they can be eaten (G.G.S pg 115). The seeds of the fruits are somethimes bitter and are fertilzed by the passing through of the animals (G.G.S pg 116). The domestication of plants by humans may have started in latrines. Fruit and the nut trees are harder to domesticate (4, 000 B.C) due to the long growing season (G.G.S pg 119). The Almonds and Oaks are more easily to be domesticated, because they grow faster.
Even though farming was a very important to the civilaltion, it was very dangerous. MAny farmers got diseases from the plants (GGS Ch 6 pg 105). Plus many farmers spent less time then hunters-gathers. Many hunters-gathers deccided to be a farmer. They saw how they got better rewards when they finished their job (GGS ch 6 pg 110). Many people soon started to be farmers so that they can gain more food. Latter people would use it for trading.
The adoptoion of a food producing sedentary life stlye was hindered by the availibilty of wild foods to be domesticate. as stated in Ch.7 of GGS all crops originated from wild plant species.crops were chosen for farming based on nutritional value, lethality of the plant species and other various unconcious decisions. As time passed as plants evolved, some species became less poisinous.Some areas of Earth that were inhabited by people where more suitible for farming than others (different climate zones).Ch8 of GGS talks about how the fertile cresent's location in a medtieranian climate zone attributed to the agricultural sucess of the farmers living there. plants adapt for survival like any other species, so some climates were preferable to others in the domestication and production of plant species. thus while the adoption of farming was hindered by the plant species avalible, the sutible plant species availible depened on the climate and topography of the area.
Large mammal domestication was important for the development of societies.Even though small mammals yielded food, clothing, and furs, large mammals could yield higher surpluses and were also useful for other tasks such plowing fields and pull wagons. Domesticated animals such as horses were also crucial for warfare. Eurasians had a greater advantages over other groups of peoples.Eurasia had a more varied amount of environments which led to the development of a larger variety of mammals. Eurasians had access to the five major ancient species of herbivores: sheep, goats,cows, pigs and horses while people native to the Americas only had small mammals such as dog and alpaca.~Guns Germs and Steel chapter 9 pgs. 158-162
Many wild fruits were very dangerous, this was changed by the farmers. Farmers need a way to bring more food in that were natural to the land but not posionous. Most of the posionous fruit looked very harmeless at first (GGS ch 7 pg 116). Animals were also tricked by the plants to. So farmers had to domesticate plants so that they can plant them and eat them. Many new plants were found around they world that can be use to make new crops (GGS ch 7 pg 126). Farmers help make most plants into safe plants that can make safe fruit to eat. They helped out their civilations to be able to get more nutrients.
when farmers chose to domesticate wild plants and animals they had both concious and unconcious criteria which they used to decide. when choosing which plants to domesticate farmers un chose based on size and taste.(GGS Ch7) size because, the larger the fruit/plant the more nutrition recieved by people. And taste because peple tended to choose less bitter plants because they were less dangerous to eat.as plants adapted over time some became less lethal and more appealing to humans for consumption, so they too got chosen for domestication and production. when choosing animals, farmers main concern was which animal could provide the most. obviously the larger animals could supply more meat than smaller ones, but they could also provide farmers with a means for transportation.(GGS Ch4)animals were used by farmers for materials necessary for survival. they used fibers from fur to make cloths and skin of the animal to make leathers.while the animals were alive they were used to provide transportation, milk, fertilizers, and work(pulling plows).when choosing which animals to domesticate, farmers chose the ones that provided the most bang for the farmers buck.
Though out history food production appeared all over the world and in different times (GGS CH. 5.) Although, throughout the globe food production never arose due to ecological reasons that still do this day make it very difficult to begin food production (GGS. CH. 5 PG.93.) In very few places food production arose independently, meaning local people domesticated local plants and animals. (GGS CH. 5 PG. 98-99) On the other hand, food production arose in some places as imported, in the sense that the crops and livestock had previously been domesticated (GGS. CH. 5 PG.94). Archeologist can discover evidence of food production by radiocarbon dating of carbon-containing materials at the site. This method is based on the readings of carbon 14, which is constantly being generated in the atmosphere by cosmic rays. (GGS. CH.5 PG.95). Around the world some hunter-gathers may have begun food production upon the arrival of crops from elsewhere. For example, the Egyptians food production began with the arrival of south west Asian crops then gradually eliminated wild foods from their diet (GGS CH.5 PG. 101-102) On the other hand; food production began with the arrival of foreigners, as well as their foreign crops and animals. For example, in the Cape of South Africa, Europeans founded the Khoi hunter and gathers and they had already domesticated animals, but with the arrival of the Europeans, plant domestication began to sprout (GGS. CH. 5 PG.102) So, around the world many of the food production began as areas of learned food production, being replaced by foreigners all at different times.
(GGS,Ch.7) How to make an almond discussed the domestication of plants and how they evolved into something that we use everyday for food and other purposes. I learned about the principles of crop development and stages of crop development as well (GGS, pp.123-125). The four major types of change that occured and that didnt involve berry pickers were 1)it affected wild mechanisms for dispersal of seeds, 2) less visibilityto ancient hikers, 3)enclose seeds in a thick coat of armor, 4)plant reproduction. (GGS, pp.120-122) To give a better understanding of all of this, Diamond uses the almond as an example. The almond helps us understand the origin of species by natural selection (GGS. pp.130)
G.G.S chapter 4: this chapter explains the importance of food production rather than Hunting and Gathering. In my opinion, It was a pretty great system for getting large amounts of food because it is here today. More food was created, tribes could have a greater population, and all of the resources were useful. By using the hunting-gathering system, many types of the foods were useless because they were indigestible, poisonous, low in nutritional value, tedious to prepare, or difficult to hunt. Then people wanted to make food production faster so they used animals such as the cow, horse, water buffalo, Bali cattle, and Yak / Cow hybrids. This method helped many people so much and was one of many big discoveries throughout time.
Plant domestication developed independently in very few areas and was later adopted by neighboring area. For example, most domesticated crops of Eurasia were specifically developed in the Fertile Crescent (Southwest Asia). These crops later spread to Europe, Egypt, North Africa, Ethiopia, Central Asia and the Indus Valley. Unlike in Eurasia, people in the Americas had a more difficult time growing the same crops of their neighbors. The reason why it was more difficult to adopt crops in places such as the Americas and Sub Saharan-Africa was because of both of these places have smaller amounts of land in their East to West axis. The wider West to East axis of Eurasia meant that many areas in this continent would fall on the same climate and time zone. Thus crops grown on these areas would easily adapt to their new environments and would successfully grow. ~ Guns Germs and Steel Chapter 10 pgs. 177-180, 183-184
(GGS, Ch.6) In to farm or not to farm, Diamond helped us understand why food production came later into time as opposed to it happening earlier. First off, to avoid the misconception, there in no sharp divide between nomadic hunter gathers and sedentary food producers. (GGS, pp.106)They both were moblie groups of food producers. Now you may ask yourself, so why did food profuction take place early on? Couldn't the people farm? The answer to that is simply a yes and no. People had no one to observe farming until later on. You cant do something off the back without observation first. (GGS, pp.104-105) In the chapter it asks a question: What were the factors that tipped the competitive advantage away from the former and toward the latter? Well there were five factors in this. 1) the decline in the availability of wild foods. 2) increased availability of domesticable wild plants. 3)communative development of technolagies on which food production would eventually depend. 4) two way link between the rise in human population density and rise in food production. 5)the transition became dcisive at geographic boundaries between hunter gathers and food producers. (GGS, pp.110-112)
CHAPTER 9 talks about big mammals domestication, effects to the domestication and gives percentages on the amount of mammals being domesticated in certain areas.In chapter 9,I learned the names of the major five of mammal domestication which are the cow, sheep, goat, pig, and horse.Pg.159( Those Major Five of mammal domestication are the cow, sheep,goat,pig,and horse.)How do domesticated animals differ from their wild ancestors?Pg.159(These differences result in two processes:human selection of those individual animals more useful to humans than other individuals of the same species, and automatic evolutionary responses of animals to the altered forces of natural selection operating in human environments as compared with wild environments.)What are the ways in which domesticated animals diverged from their species? One way domesticated animals diverged from their species was change in size,Pg. 159(Many species changed in size: cows, pigs, and sheep became smaller under domestication,while guinea pigs became larger.)Another way domesticated diverged from their species was selection, Pg.159( Sheep and alpacas were selected for retention of wool and reduction or loss of hair, while cows have been selected for high milk yields.)Finally, one more way that domesticated animals diverged from their species was reduction of brain,Pg.159( Several species of domesticated animals have smaller brains and less developed sense organs than their wild ancestors, because they no longer need the bigger brains and more developed sense organs on which their ancestors depended to escape from wild predators.)As I saw the graph in Pg.162,I noticed that Eurasia had the most mammalian candidates for domestication with an 18%, the Americas coming second with a 4%, and Sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia coming third with 0%.What is a “candidate”?Pg.162(A “candidate” is defined as a species of terrestrial,herbivorous or omnivorous, wild mammal weighing on an average over 100 pounds.)Why do humans and most animal species make an unhappy marriage? For one or more of many possible reasons. Pg.174( The animals diet, growth rate, mating habits, disposition, tendency to panic, and several distinct features of social organization.)
Throughout the first section of Guns Germs and Steel the idea of domesticating things such as plants and animals became a major way to get food after people began to reside in one place.(ch.4p.89) I found out that many domesticated plant species caused an epidemic of diseases.(ch.4p.88) It was rare to find many domesticated species that were useful to humans because they were either indigestible, poisonous, difficult to hunt or gather, or had no nutritional value. hunters and gatherers were far more plentiful when they domesticated animals because it helped them with food, clothing and transportation(ch.4p.91), whereas farmers had far more trouble with domesticating plants and making them useful. With knowing this we can make the assumption that more people began becoming hunters and gatherers because they had a better chance at getting useful food than those that were farmers.
There were many obstacles that affected the growth of production in diffrent areas. Farming was one of them and it had many obstacles for growing. One of them was tempatures in certain areas of the world. Some countries were way to cold or were deserted. Obviously you cant grow crops in a desert or a cold area.
Another reason was that a country already had a production and didnt want to get rid of it. That would cause a conflict therefore they wouldnt do it.
''It should come as no surprise that food production never arose in large areas of the globe, for ecological reasons that still make it difficult or impossible there today''
Guns, Germs, and Steele
Chapter 5
have now a days makes are life easy, ex. when were hungry we can go to our fridge, go to a store, fast food resturant.Unlike back then we don't have to go hunting to get food, hunting now a days is not a necessity for us it is now a sport. "First and most directly , domestic animals became the the societies' major source of animal protein , replacing wild game." While each year new technology replaces old technology wild game was also replaced by the domestication of animals.
the revolution of farming is one of the sole reasons we have adapted from hunting and gathering and with every one not working on provideing food they were able to make developements in diffrent areas like art or music or even inventions.(GGS, chapter 6,page 105)
Chapter 9 Zebras etc...
The 14 large (100 lbs) are the successful domestication animal species in the world (G.G.S pg 159). 13 of them are from Eurasia, and one is from South America. Of the 148 herbivorous or ominvorous species in the world, 72 of them are Eurasia, 51 from Africa, 24 from the Americas and 1 from Austrilla (G.G.S pg 162). All of these major animal domestication it had occured between 8,500-2,500 B.C with alomst none since then (G.G.S pg 165). With all these animlas they had many to choose from to eat or keep for trade, or traveling. While they were traveling, how did they come upon all these animals?
the domestication of plants and animals have brought many advantages but also disadvantages. domestication ended the hunter gather lifestyle by providing a surplus of food nomadic life was no longer necessary for survival. with the surplus of food you could now feed a dense population but also brought way for epidemics which could now sustain themselves in the densely populated cities (G.G.S ch.4 pg.87). with the new sustainability warfare was easier to feed troops but the diseases brought by domesticated animals took their tool on troops and caused pandemics as well as solutions (G.G.S ch.4 pg.92)
the domestication of plants and animals have brought many advantages but also disadvantages. domestication ended the hunter gather lifestyle by providing a surplus of food nomadic life was no longer necessary for survival. with the surplus of food you could now feed a dense population but also brought way for epidemics which could now sustain themselves in the densely populated cities (G.G.S ch.4 pg.87). with the new sustainability warfare was easier to feed troops but the diseases brought by domesticated animals took their tool on troops and caused pandemics as well as solutions (G.G.S ch.4 pg.92)
In chapter 4 of Guns, Germs, and Steel it mainly focuses on the topic of Food Production(GGS pp. 85-92). Throughout this chapter, Jared Diamond stresses on the importance of Food production. food production is formed with a combination of animal and plant domestication. Looking at figure 4.1(GGS pp. 87), you can see some of the factors that the world had that lead to the diffrences in thedevlopment of diffrent regions. during the chapter, it explains the way that plants were chosen to be domesticated. Plants were first chosen to be domesticated by the simplest categories such as if they were edible. Animals were alittle more tricky because of the fact that there were not many that ould be domesticated and not all of them were as usefull as others. These two forms of domestication are the things that took people ftom the hunting and gathering age to the Food Production age. Overall this chapter really expresses the importance of Food Producion and how that importance was established.
(Guns, Germs, and Steel Chapter 4) This chapter covered the importance of farming and how domesticated animals helped about that lifestyle. Not only did they help plow land for farming, but they provided food, clothing, and transportation. They were also used to fight against wars! The effects of food production, which was the main idea of this chapter, was that many hunter-gatherers abandoned their ways, disintegrated, or died out, thereby ending the millions of years of commitment to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. (Page 86) So, now that food production and domesticated animals were on the rise, so were the risk of diseases. Domesticated animals brought infectious diseases like small pox, measles, and the flu. We can all see that there were obviously pros and cons to food production and domestication of animals because although it brought prosperity to farmers, the mutations they did, eventually affected them. But how would our world now be if these processes wouldn't have been done at such an early age?
In chapter six of Guns, Germs, and Steel entitled “To Farm or Not to Farm” is where we search for the explanation to why did some people begin food production earlier than other? What were the factors that lead to food production? (GGS, CH. 6, PG. 104.) Although, in the beginning of the chapter we come to understand that the first food producers didn’t discover food production, it was simply the result of trial-and-error, makes it more correct to ask “why did food production evolve in other places as opposed to others?” (GGS, CH. 6, PG. 105-106.) To answer this question there are five main contributing factors. One is that decreasing availability of wild foods. Second, with the decrease in game from hunting-gathering along came the increase of domestic-able wild plant, leading to plant domestication. Third is the development of technology to further increase the ease of food production. (GGS, CH.6, PG. 110.) Fourth, is the connection between the increase in human population and how food production may benefit the growing population. (GGS, CH.6, PG. 111) The final factor would be those who chose food production initially outbred those orthodox hunter-gathers! So, in the end …. hunter-gathers were either replaced by food producers or survived only by adopting food production (GGS, CH. 6, PG. 112.)
We tend to seek easy, single-factor explanatiions of success. For most important things,though,success actually requires avoiding many seperate possible causes of failure.(GGS Ch.9, pg.157)Since humans sometimes have the tendancy to rush into to things this may be the reason why we were unable to domesticate such big mammals like the zebra or pecarries. Big mammals were needed for survival for human socities. Chapter 4 explained the needs for domesticating big mammals. In all, of the worlds 148 big wild terristrial herbivorous mammals-the candidates for domseticateion-only 14 passed the test. Why did the other 134 species passed the test?(GGS CH.9 pg.168) To answer this question many people were unable to connect or "build a happy marriage" with these animals. Some socities valued certain animals so much that they weren't able to make the cut. Overall humans were only able to connect with a small amount of big mammals because they were able to sustain the conditions of where they lived and easy to take care of.
In chapter 4 it talks about how hunters and gatherers became stabled farmers. Food production increased by crops and wild plant and animal domestication. Also that herding and the domestication helped increased calories for the growing populations. Since more kids were parted by 2 years instead of 4 because mothers didn't have to carry their kids around waiting until they were capable of taking care of their own selves. This also mase it easier to store and grow crops. The animals are also a big help in the food production because they were capable of doing the harder labored work the farmers couldn't. But it also allowed animals to spread their diseases and I'm pretty sure it contaminated plenty of crops because they workwd so close to them. And without realizing it, here diseases were being spread through the crops as well. Eventhough the conversion from hunters and gatherers to farmers was obvious, considering the fact that very few wild plants were good enough to be gathered and very few animals to be hunted, some people decided not to convert. But those who did were the start of the food productions.
In chapter 6 of (G.G.S.) To farm or not to farm. Farmers are not necessarily better off than the hunter gatherers. The farmers were more than likely in small groups, had more diseases, and died at young ages. That is what replaced the hunters gatherers. The food production was evolved as a result of decisions made with out the awarenesses of the consequences. It took different steps for the production to evolve and took time as well. The hunter gatherers made their decisions based on prestige, but as more people saw what farming was they left hunting to become farmers.
As humans we have always found a way to alter things so that we get the most out of them. Today, with techniques of genetic engineering we are able to enhance plants and make them more useful for us however, ancient people didn’t have this knowledge and instead domesticated plants unconsciously. (GGS ch7 p.115) Humans at first chose to gather the plants that most appealed to them in taste and appearance realizing that the bigger ones gave them more nutrients or at least filled them up more. The seeds of the plants they harvested would then come out in their wastes and became the same seeds that they would later sow (GGS Ch7 p.116-117) Consequently, humans without even realizing it, began dispersing and cultivating the plants that most benefited them.
Chapter 10 Spacious Skies & Titled Axes
Lima beans, commin beans, chili peppers were domesticated independently in both South America and Meso America (G.G.S og 177). The east-west spread of the animals ans plants were easier due to the same day length (this is what they had common). Did they have any other similiarties that the book doesnt mention? How did these certain beans become domesticated? What factores led to South America and Meso America to have the same exact day length? In the Americas the distance between cool highlands of Mexico and Andes was only 1,200 miles but separated by the low tropical region (G.G.S pg 187).
Chapter six of guns germs and steel mainly talks about farming and how it evolved. Farming was actually started by people without a conscious idea of what they were actually doing.(ch.6p.105) They didn't plan for it to turn out so well because it had never been done before. The reason it came along was because people wanted protein rich, fatty, salty, fruity, and sweet foods that just tasted good to them. (ch.6p.107) A question asked on (p.109) was what were the factors that tipped the competitive advantage from the former to the latter? This was answered throughout the rest of this chapter. (p.110-113) There is no single answer to this question because the factors may vary in different parts of the world, but the decline in the availability of wild foods and or the increase in the availability of wild plants basically cover all the regions. There were also many cumulative technological developments and the rise of human population that contributed to this competitive advantage. Basically farming evolved over many years with many different factors contributing to it.
Since a hungting and gathering tribe was constantly on the move and hunting and gatheing could only supply a small amount of people, they tended to be small in size. Whereas in a sedentary farming lifestyle, farmers weren't constantly moving and had a reliable food source that could support more people. the sedentary lifestyle of farmers lead to an increase in the farming population.(GGS Ch4)That along with their ability to produce more food lead to farmers having a higher population than hunter-gatherers(farming became more common than hunting-gathering). but somein cultures in the world farming goes against what they believe in. (GGS Ch8)That just meant farming wasn't adopted there, the farming lifestyle still spredad and grew in other parts of the world. farming provided a constant and reliable source of food, since food was no longer an issue people began to adapt in other areas of work and become specialists. so in a sense, the adoptin of farming lead to the start of a governed society.
It's really hard to believe that at one point or another the United States along with many other places in the world, did not have much knowledge of agriculture. On chapter 5 of Guns, Germs, and Steel (GGS. pp 93-103) the main thing that is discussed is why Food Production popped up in different places at different times. This chapter goes more in-depth about what was briefly touch on in the previous chapter. It also talks about major independent sited of food production and gave a date as to when Food Production appeared. I really like Table 5.1 (GGS pp. 100) because it allows for the different places to be compared. This Table really helped me understand how the resources that people had were very important to the development of Food Production. This chapter also touches on the point that there are still some places that have not developed Food Production and therefore still rely on hunting and gathering. Initially I was confused as to how this could be, but later I learned that this is due to the fact that there are still some places that do not have the resources to help the form of food production to be successful.
Societies who switched from hunting-gathering to farming had an advantage over those who didn’t. The use of farming allowed people to not have to worry about gathering food and gave them an opportunity to specialize in professions and jobs to improve their society. (GGS ch.4 p.87) Farming allowed societies to settle in one area rather than always having to be on the move looking for more animals to hunt. The settling of one area allowed for bigger populations since food was abundant. These bigger populations caused expansion in numbers of their armies and they were able to outnumber their neighboring enemies and take over their tribes. (GGS ch.4 p.89) Getting rid of the hunting–gathering method took away the risk of losing people’s lives just to find food (such as encountering an angry bear), since farming dramatically reduced those life risk-taking tasks. Food gathering was often challenging and dangerous when hunting and gathering was the way of eating. After the shift to agriculture, the amount of food needed per day was now easily reached since acquiring food with farming was much more safe and reliable.
The tribes men and women wanted peace over war because they were very polite and gentle people.(ggs pg 85) when the worked on farms, they worked until the point where they would get sick and they also used it as a lesson that they could use steel to where they didn't have to use so much effort for farming and they could use some of their strength for domestication of wild plants and animals and using steel.for buildings and weapons and also for irrigation as well.
(G.G.S chapter4) This chapter I found very intresting because it explains to us the introduction of food pruductions and the way that it benefited the tribes. The rise of food production was not discovered until the last 11,000 years.(pg 86) Food production appeared in many places but in different times, some even didn't get to experience it. Throught food production it was not only easier than hunting and gathering but it also helped to make cloth and materials.(pg 90)Animal domestication also helped the food production with fertilizers. Food production was a great evolution because it gave the tribes a better opportunity to be successful with more food.
Food production was not found until 8,500 B.C ,but there is many questions why didnt people start using food production way earlier.
Many people were hunter and gatherers before bein food producers. When someone became a food producer it was not a concious choice. The reason why is because they didnt know what would happen when they became food producers, they could not have became farmers because no one had experienced that. None of them had a goal in other words. Throughout the time food production did evolve and we began to see farmers. Now people were able to become food producers and have a motive behind it. Though their is still question to why it evolves better in certain areas.
''Hence the question that we have to ask is why food production did evolve , why it evolved in some places but not others...''
Chapter 5 Guns,Germs and Steel
Human and animal foragers are constantly prioritizing and making effort-allocation decisions, even if only unconciously. They concentrate first on favorite foods, or ones that yield the highest payoff.(GGS Ch.6 pg107) Farmers wanted to only plant food that was delicious to them and that could satisfy their hunger. The problem with this is that number of crops they could be planting was cut down to a minimum. Some hunter-gatherers opposed becoming food producers because that wasn't their way of life. During this switch to food production there was rise in human population. In all parts of the world where adequate evidence is available, archaeologists find evidence of rising densities associated with the appearance of food production. (GGS Ch.6 pg.111) Many people stayed nomadic in the end because of the unfit conditions of their areas.
(Chapter 5 Guns, Germs, and Steel)
Human history consisted of the people that had acquired farming power, and those who hadn't. Even so, people who acquired them, did so at different times resulting in the unequal rise of food production in different areas. (CH.5 PG. 93) One of the big questions is: Why did the areas that were somewhat the least fertile first develop food production while those with the most fertile land didn't? I think it's because the people who lived in less fertile farmland/pastures NEEDED a way to survive using crops so they had to adjust quicker and develop food production and animal domestication faster. The people living in more fertile land didn't have to worry as much because crops grew independently and so the development was gradual. All in all, only a couple of areas developed food production like this; independently. People with this head start were on a faster path towards guns, germs, and steel.
(GGS, Ch.4) Farmer power discussed the importance of animal and plant domestication. It is something we used to develop food production. (GGS, pp. 88) It is important because without the domestication of these things, we wouldnt be able to farm and learn how to grow and raise our own things. This was a crucial thing for humans because this is the origin of farming. However, we also learn it's not just for food purposes, its for transportation as well. (GGS, pp. 92)
In chapter seven of Guns, Germs and Steel Diamond takes us through an in-depth explanation of the origins of specifically plant domestication. In the beginning sowing and harvesting crops all had to of course, come from the wild. Well, in this chapter Diamond answers, “how did people so early in time know which crop to select and know whether they were to be successful or simply wasting their time? Well, we come to find a simple little answer – human selection, with this there were both visible and non-visible factors. (GGS, CH. 7, PG. 114-115) There are four visible criterions that were used to select seeds to sow: size, bitterness, fleshiness and oiliness (GGS. CH. 7 PG. 117-118.) On the other hand there were three non-visible criterions of the human selection process: dispersal mechanism also known as, seed dormancy, germination inhibition and reproduction biology of seeds (GGS. CH. 7, PG. 120-121.) With all of these factors, the source of each is an actual mutant gene. For example, a seed’s bitterness is the result of a mutant gene which allows a seed to not be eaten but simply digested so that it may be defecated, thus resulting in germination (GGS. CH. 7 PG. 118) In conclusion we might come to think why then would the term ‘mutant’ often brings a negative connotation, if in this case, actually allows a seed to flourish and grow.
even now the idea of domestication has come to the fact that we don't know how to do. even in the early stages of human growth we domesticated plants from being poisonous and larger to make it worth the effort to grow and farm efficiently (G.G.S ch. 7 pg. 114). but it wasn't solely nature that selected which traits should move on but humans selecting the genetically Superior crops which bring to the world the crops as strawberry's, almonds, and corn that we see in our stores today (G.G.S ch. 7 pg. 116)
While some ancient people thrived with the new development of food production, others struggled with it and would have chosen to remain hunter and gatherers.(GGS ch 8 p.134) The reason wasn’t because the people weren’t capable of domesticating plants and animals but was instead because they had less variety of them and what was available to them provided them with little benefits(GGS ch 8 p.149).The areas where people did prosper in food production included large areas with a high diversity of plants and animals that were candidates for domestication (GGS ch 9 p.175) In the end, some ancient people just had the bad luck of inhabiting areas with little biodiversity which hindered their ability to gain all the benefits that came with food production.
In chapter 6 there is a continuation on farming. The conversion between hunters-gatherers to farmers. The availability of wild resources, technologies and cultural attitudes had a huge influence. There's realmy no say wixh ones is better because the first few farmers that replaced some hunters and gatherers were less well-nourished than them. So they were much smaller and died much younger. Some hunters and gatherers interacted with farmers and never converted yet others took a long while to do so. The start of food production required decision making with No awareness. The food production took a while to start but when it did it spread quickly because different foods were being produced in different places. Also both farming and hunting including herding were occurring at the same time.
(GGS, Ch.5) In history's haves and have-nots, we can see that throughout human history, there has always been unequal conflicts between people who have things, and people that dont such as someone with farmer power and someone who doesnt have it.(GGS, pp.93) The people who didnt have what they wanted would want it. Thats how we are today in society as well, when we want something, we go and get it. This is why there were so many conflicts at the time, only a small amount of areas had developed food production at the time. Some people had it, while others didnt and lacked many of the things needed to make food production happen. (GGS, pp.103) This caused many problems for people over the years and caused many conflicts. People killed each other and drove each other of of areas to aquire what people had.
Most of the land that could be used for farming was usally in the middle of a region were different tribes would see each other (GGS ch pg 135). Lands that were far away from the fertile land had very little success when farming. when they weren't by that type of kand they had to farm by water sources, like Egypt. In some lands the crops were very little, so they had to have small villages. New Guinea had a mountain terran (GGS ch 8 pg 149) so they did very little farming.
In chapter 7 of Guns Germs and Steel we find out that the domestication of plants happened thousands of years ago in the fertile crescent.(ch.7p.120) Some of the plants that were domesticated in the fertile crescent were self pollinating which means the varieties of crops could pass on their own genes without them being changed by humans. This process of domesticating plants in the fertile crescent was time consuming and less abundant than just eating the food the way it naturally is. This exhausted the patience of most farmers. (ch.7p.129)
Ch 9 of GGS mentioned how there were 14 domisticable species availible for domesteication before te 20th century. there is a distinction between tamed animals and domesticated animals. (CH9 GGS) domestication involves transforming wild animals into something more useful to humans. domestication lead to genetic changes in animals like their size, samller brains and less developed sense organs. but why was their an unequal distribution ofsuitble wildanimal species among the continents? GGS Ch 10 states that size has something to do with it. Eurasia is the largest continent and the widest.since it was larger, had alot of ecological diversity, and had a wider variety of species availible, it had the most domesticated animals.the axis of orientation affects the rate of spread of crops and livestock. since climatezones vary depending on distance relative to earths equator and the poles, it was easier to transport crops and animals east to west rather than north to south because the animals and plants were adapted to those climate zones and ecological areas.
In chapter 9 of G.G.S animal domestication was experienced throught out many continents. Each continent domesticated different animals and diverse sizes. Domesticated animals differ from their wild ancestors. The domesticated animals have changed throught size, fur, and form. Some animals were not domesticated at all, like the Asian elephant for example.(pg 159) The owners would also keep pets but it did have it's consequences in times because it was dangerous. The states found some of the animals superior from others, like the cheetah. (pg 170) Zebras and other animals were more agressive and the owners had to choose a pleasant animal.
Chapter 10
Lima beans and chili peppers were domesticated separately in South America and Meso America (ggs pg 177). The lateral spread of the plants and animals were easier because of the same day length. Do they have any other similiarties? How did these beans become domesticated?
Chapter 8 of Guns, Germs, and Steel (GGS pp. 131-156) is "Apples and Indians". this chapter focuses on answering the question of why agriculture never arose independently in some very fertile places, and why there was time differences in the individual places that Food Production did develop. Once again the answer goes back to plants and animals. Some places that had very fertile soil did not have a big variety of useful plants. Others had a lack of domesticable animals. Animals also have to be big so that they can play many parts in Food Production. As this chapter explains that there were other places in the world, such asCalifornia and subquantorial Africa, that had the potential of having successful Food Production, but laked some important resources that made it fail. All of these things needed can be seen as the foundation of a building, if you don't have all of the necessities then it will come falling down. Climate also seemed to be important (GGS pp. 139) in figure 8.2 you can see how the climate over the world was what gave these areas the potential, but did not guarantee the success in Food Production. Even tough you may think that findingdomesticable plants and animals is easy, it is not. To the day we have only domesticated about 200 plants for food out of the 200,000, and more, that there are in the world. Back then the probably had much less domesticated plants. Some were not that hard to domesticate, but were simply not worth the time to do it. Overall the way that Foop Production arose was mostly due to domestication of animals and plants along with other variables.
(GGS Ch.7) In the chapter of how to make an almond there are intresting explanations of how we started to domesticate plants. Even if unconsiously, you decide which bush looks most promising, and whether it's worth it at all.(GGS Ch. 7 pg.117) My opinion is that us humans want things that are more satisfying and delicious for us. We don't even stop to think of the hard-ships that come of planting these certain crops. We want our "moneys worth" when it comes to planting because it would be unnecessary to be in the hot sun all day for little bitty plants. Over time different farmers were improving ancient crops and barely domesticating some berries. Even today we are still improving our crops so that could become better tasting and bigger.
(GGS, Ch.5)in the reading it shows that there was a have and have not group of people, those that could farm, and those that could not. Farming was avaliable to those who's geography and climate allowed it. People such as those by rivers in the Fertile Cresent or the Yellow River Valley could farm. Food production was different in many areas, those who did farm sometimes limited themselves to just local plants and animals, and only domesticated what was needed. Others sometimes had great levels of food production, those who did not farm stayed nomadic and hunted whatever game they could. Food production arose in different areas at different times and only few areas, those who had a head start on food production became those that would rise with guns, germs, and steel. (GGS pgs 94-96, 101-103)
CHAPTER 10, What affected the spread of crops ?Pg. 176, “Axis orientations affected the rate of spread of crops and livestock, and possibly also of writing, wheels, and other inventions.” Chapter 10 talks about food productions spread, rise in food production, and crops ancestors. In Pg. 176 , it starts talking about food production, “ food production’s spread proves as crucial to understanding geographic differences in the rise of gun, germs, and steel, as did its origins, which we considered in the preceding chapters.” What were the main spreads of food production? “ The main such spreads of food production were from Southwest Asia to Europe, Egypt, and North Africa, Ethiopia, Central Asia, and the Indus Valley; From the Sahel and West Africa to East and South Africa; from China to tropical South East Asia , the Philippines, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan; and from Mesoamerica to North America. Pg.177.” So, what does plant domestication involve? “ Pg. 179, “ We have already seen that plant domestication involves the modification of wild plants so that they become more useful to humans by virtue of larger seeds, a less bitter taste, or other qualities.” As stated in Pg. 176, the spread of crops and growth as well, is all dependent on the “AXIS ORIENTATIONS” for example: Pg.183,'Why was the spread of crops from the Fertile Crescent so rapid?” pg 183, "the answer depends partly on that east-west axis of Eurasia with which I opened this chapter.”
Through chapter eight in Guns Germs and Steel we come to understand the reason why agriculture never arose independently in many areas that were very suitable with highly fertile flora and why agriculture developed earlier than others in areas where agriculture did arise independently. (GGS, CH. 8, PG. 131) Among chapter eight we take compare and contrast the flora of the Fertile Crescent versus the Eastern United States and New Guinea. (GGS, CH. 8, PG. 134-154) The early development of the Fertile Crescent is due to their Mediterranean climate with a high diversity of plants and animals. They also had diverse topographies which in hand supported diverse biotas. (GGS, CH. 8, PG. 138-141) With this, we come to a conclusion that although Eastern US and New Guinea had partial Mediterranean climate they lacked availability of resource such as the great diversity of BOTH plant and domestic-able animals.
(Chapter 6, Guns, Germs, and Steel) Farming was definitely a turning point to many people by now. There were many cases of hunter-gatherer groups who came into contact with food producers and failed to adopt these practices. Some just refused to make the transition. Of course, there were several misconceptions about these transitions. First, there often was not a conscious choice between the two options. Groups often adopted some food production while still practicing hunting and gathering. (PG. 105) Second, distinctions cannot be drawn around the groups. Sometimes hunter-gatherer societies became sedentary but did not produce food and there are examples of mobile food producers. Although some farmers weren't better off doing what they were doing, most of Asia was composed of farming.
In the same way that plants and animals had qualities which either facilitated or kept humans from domesticating them, the position of a continents axis either supported or impeded the spread of food production.(GGS CH.10 p. 176) Food production spread quickly across Eurasia because its axis runs from east to west which allows the time and climate zones to stay the same, but this wasn’t the case in the Americas because its axis ran north to south and the change in latitude made it harder for plants and animals to adapt to the environment. (GGS ch10 p. 178,183) This gave the inhabitants of Eurasia an advantage over those in the Americas because with the spread of food production came the spread of technology which would latter allow them to conquer other people. (GGS ch.10 p182)Once again, some ancient people had the advantage of living in areas where food production was aided by the environment while others weren’t so fortunate.
The development of diffrent species branching from a main species such as a sparrow from the bird family or a sun flower as a type of flower is due to the conditions in which they originated from.this also applys to humans as there health, skin pigmintation and even their diets and culture. (ggs , chapter 8 , page 134)
The advanced weapons and military strategy that Pizarro and his men had were the reason why they were able to conquer Atahuallpa and defeat his outnumbering Indians. How were Pizarro and his people able to capture Atahuallpa? Pizarro, unlike the Indians, had guns (harquebuses), superior steel weapons, armor, horses, and cavalry. While the Indians only had stone, bronze, and wooden clubs, maces, hand axes, slingshots and quilted armor. (GGS ch.3 Pg.74) The fear they brought into the Indians by attacking them off guard gave them the edge in defeating the Indians and capturing Atahuallpa even though they were outnumbered greatly; less than 1000 Spaniards to 80,000 Indians. (GGS ch.3 Pg.72) Pizarro and his people were successful in conquering many other people since at the time, were more advanced with their military and gained the advantage over other tribes who hadn’t yet reached those advances.
In chapter 8 of (G.G.S.) Apples or Indians. Crops have wild versions in areas where they were not domesticated. The potential of an entire local flora bust be assessed for domestication. A few crops were not enough for the hunter- gatherers to live on. in New Guinea didn't have good or fancy technology. Most crops grown there, a wild ancestor has been identified and it's relationship to the domestic versions. There were eight " founders" crops originating in the fertile crescents. In both New Guinea and Eastern United States limits on indigenous food production were not due to the native people, but instead depended entirely on mostly the environment.
in many ways it is still very unusual that in many different places across the world agriculture evolved close to the same time (G.G.S ch.5). the closest that we can think of the Europe and Asian Continents is through trade and merchants. although in the americas there was no communication between europe so the spreed of agriculture seemed to evolve all across the world close to the same time.
In chapter five it talks about how some of the same species of plants and animals were domesticated in different places at different times. To find out who and were they were domesticated first the use carbon dates. This method is based on the slow decay of the radioactive carbon14.(G.G.S 95) Another thing it talks about is how animals of the same species seperated and those two species became domesticated into two different species as in the India's zebu.(G.G.S 98) Also it talks about how some lands weren't used for agriculture because they were unsuited for growing food until later into the future.
(Chapter 7 Guns, Germs, and Steel) I found this chapter to be quite interesting. If it weren't for farmers back in the day, we wouldn't have most of the crops and fruits we do today. Plants, like humans, have evolved over time. Some plants that weren't edible before, now are thanks to domestication. Animals and humans tended to select particular plants from a given species to eat, perhaps because the berries on a certain plant were bigger or sweeter than others. (PG. 116)Farmers managed to grow some plants much earlier than others, and even today a few prized food plants have never been successfully farmed.
In chapter four, we discovered the main significance of farm production, domestication of plants and animals and all that can result from such customs. These two things lead to the advancement of a society drastically (GGS Ch. 4 pg. 90.) With domestication of plants and animals people are able to store a surplus of food thus allowing for an increase in population since they’re able to support such increase (GGS. Ch. 4 pg. 89-90) This surplus also lead to them becoming politically centralized, administrating bureaucrats, specialization in jobs, and becoming economically prosperous. Thus it’s safe to conclude that Farm production results in advancement in society (GGS. Ch. 4 Pg. 92.) The benefits of animal and plant domestication can be seen in the Spanish conquest of Atahuallpa. Pizarro seized all of their advantages and availability of resources, such a cavalry and conquered Atahuallpa. (GGS. Ch. Pg. 86.) In the end, we come to most certainly discover a domino effect on those who domestic plants and animals such as, denser human populations thus allows a civilization to become politically centralized, socially stratified, along with complex economic and societies that become technologically innovative! (GGS. Ch. 4 Pg. 85-92) Due to the sedentary lifestyle that comes from domestication, it allowed individuals leisure time allowing the opportunity of limitless discovery.
Switching to farming from hunting-gathering gave those societies an advantage over those who decided to stay as hunter-gatherers. It seem to have happened around 8500 B.C. (GGS CH.6 p.104) the farming societies were able to settle in one area and this resulted in a major population growth. This of course led to bigger armies and a bigger army meant more power over neighboring enemy tribes. (GGS CH.4 p.88) Since farming was only done by a certain amount of people and not everyone, this gave the opportunity for people to professionalize in other skills to improve their society.
In the first section we see that a lot of groups of people in the past and some in the present fight for control of land. This is precisely what happened between two of the Polynesian peoples, the Maori and the Moriori. (Ch.2) Within the Polynesian societies they only domesticated pigs, chickens, and dogs, but it was real rare to have all three in one place.(p.56) This and the different climates and landforms made Polynesian people want to expand their land and conquer people. Because Polynesia was founded so late in human society they had about 10,000 years less to develop than most other societies which could cause more fighting within the region itself. (ch.2p.66)
During the last 11,000 many people have been discovering and switching to food production.I found this intresting because as mention later in Chapter 6 many hunter gatherers opposed to switching to become a food producer.The resulting fixed abode contributes to denser human populations by permitting a shortened birth interval.(GGS Ch.4 pg.89) My opinion to this is that it was pretty smart the they shortened the birth interval because those kids can help them in the farm also.l
Chapter 9 from Guns, Germs, and Steel (GGS pp.157-175) talks about big animal domestication. Big animals here are animals that are 100lbs and up. This chapter immediately tells us that "Domesticated animals are all alike; every undomesticable animal is undomesticable in its own way" (GGS pp. 157). This is what this chapter focuses mostly on. Jared Diamond goes on to explain that the reason that the domesticated animals we have today are domesicated is because they met all of the requirements and those that are not all have different reasons as to why they could not meet the requirements. Out of the domesticated animals that we have today only 14 are considered big mammals, and out of those only 5 became important around the world. Table 9.2 (GGS pp. 162) shows an interesting fact, out of the 14 animals 13 came from Eurasia and only one from the Americas and none for the other regions. One thing that contributes a lot to the original statement is the fact that some relatives to these species are undomesticable. This gives a support to the statement because such small differences like diet, growth rate, mating habits, disposition, etc. are the reasons why these other animals fail to be domesticated. Eurasia was lucky to have many of the domesticable animals, this is another reason they were very successful and probably helped their social development as well.
(GGS ch.5 pg.93,94,97,98)
Due to the different climates in regions of the world not every location is fit for growing crops. Ex. "For instance, neither farming nor herding developed i prehistoric times in North America's Artic."
With the different climates in the world certain crops are grow in different regions where it is fit for the crop to grow.
in the world the larger part of tonnage of all crops comes from a few dozen crops (G.G.S ch.8 pg.132).the number of animals that could be used for agriculture and other tasks is even less then that of crops because they have to meet very strict requirements in order to be used as a work animal (G.G.S ch.8 pg.132). while some other facts of domestication are still sketchy due to the fact that in some parts of the world some plants could only be domesticated after they where domesticated in other regions which brings to believe that the domesticated already plants spreed in some way to other regions through trade or another way (G.G.S ch.8 pg.134)
In chapter 7 it talks about almonds and how they are a perfect example on how food domestication improved according to our own personal preferences. Because the almond used to be once a very bitter and poisonous seed. But throughout the years the plant obtained less and less poison. They were somehow mutated with tree's offspring that lacked in the poison. At first they were planted accidentally but later on purposely. Some plants were already edible and easily grown, it didn't take much or long to domesticate and were eventually left alone. Nuts and plants were different from those plants. They took about three years to adapt or domesticate. Also, The people who planted this must've already been in settled land by now. And the last group would be fruit trees and weeds. These were the most difficult to domesticate. They were discovered during seasonal times and had to be experimented with. These are all examples on how food production and expansion was happening with out any awareness.
In chapter 10 of (G.G.S.) Spacious Skies and Tilted Axes. Considering a world map, differences seem obvious. North and South America are on the north-south axis. Africa is on the north-south axis too, but it is not as norrow. In the east-west axis is Eurasia. The differences between the two axises had enormous consequences in the spread of crops and live stock. Rates and ease of spread varied greatly. Germination, growth rates, and disease resistance of plants are adapted to variations of season and climate. America had climactic differences north and south. Most of the their crops are of related species or Even of genetically distinct varieties in Messoamerica, South, and North America.
In chapter 10 of (G.G.S.) Spacious Skies and Tilted Axes. Considering a world map, differences seem obvious. North and South America are on the north-south axis. Africa is on the north-south axis too, but it is not as norrow. In the east-west axis is Eurasia. The differences between the two axises had enormous consequences in the spread of crops and live stock. Rates and ease of spread varied greatly. Germination, growth rates, and disease resistance of plants are adapted to variations of season and climate. America had climactic differences north and south. Most of the their crops are of related species or Even of genetically distinct varieties in Messoamerica, South, and North America.
In chapter 5 of ggs it shows that through history mankind have always had problems. The people were somewhat selfish because what some people had others wanted. This is why problems started because some people had farms that produced food and others didn't so they tried to take it. (Pg 103) this made many problems for people and made them kill each other and go places to take the things they wanted.
GGS Ch. 7: this chapter informes the reader about wild plants and/or fruits got domesticated. It talks about how the plants adapted so they can be spread across the land by using the help of animals. I thought that it was interesting how (p116) "... Others trick animals into carrying their seeds..." Because the plants use their smell and colors to attract the animals and they make the seeds bitter so the animals would leave and spit out the seeds. The seeds also adapted to withstand the digestion of the stomach acids so they can come out in the feces.
Then it talks about different fruits, wild from domesticated, from their sizes to their taste. To me this whole chapter interest me by showing all that plants can do and how they adapt to expand their species.
In chapter 6 of G.G.S the rise of crops and plant domestication was introduced, which was over 10,000 years. Early hunter gathers would select the best looking fruit, which makes sence, the reason being is because domesticated fruits are better than wild fruits.(ggs 117) Gathers were more likely to not pick bitter plants, coincidently those plants turned out to be poisonous. Each plant was domesticated during different periods of time. The plants diffused by many ways, which brought others to notice the plants. The domestication of plants was unintentional, but it turned out to be alot of help.
The location of a civilization or population on the
earth in terms of latitude and longitude and elevation determines how easily and well their ideas and culture spread and how well they recive the influences of other cultures and some times it also affects their growth as a civilization. (ggs , chapter 10, page 177)
Chapter 10 talks about food production and how it was affected by axis orientations. This caused food production to rise independently in some areas and not in others. Even though food production grew better in some areas it didn't prevent it from growing in others. Some areas it grew by itself while in others it needed care and workers.
"Axis orientations affected the rate of spread of crops and livestock..."
"Some areas that are ecologically very sutabile for food production never acquired it in prehistoric times at all, even though areas of prehistoric food production existed nearby"
(GGS Ch,10)
Plant domesticating helped people create new types of foods. The most successful plant domestications were in the Roman times. These included more recent ones, which were strawberries, raspberries, blueberries macadamias, pecans, cashews, cranberries, and kiwi fruit. (GGS ch.7 p.119) Domesticating plants gave benefits to the people by being able to increase their size, giving them more flesh, and giving the plants a better taste. (GGS ch.7 p.122) Seed crops were the easiest to grow and store so of course, their domestication came first than anything else. Then the fruits and nuts were eventually domesticated. There were some plants that were never domesticated since there was probably no need to or they just never were successful at it, one being the acorn.
In chapter six it compares how hunter-gatherer lifestyle differs from farmers. It also tells why some people preferred which over which and why one dominated the other. For the most part hunter-gatherers tried to stay that way. Some changed into farmers and stayed that way but some eventually changed back into hunter gatherers.(G.G.S 109) Hunting-gathering began to give way and more people began to farm because it was easier and wild resources began to disappear. More domesticated plants and animals started to show up and hunter-gatherers started to turn to farming to survive.
Animals has helped humans for a very long time. They have been around as domesicated animals snice 10000 B.C.(GGS ch 9 pg 167). Most of the animals were first used to help them in farming. Later they used some animals for traveling, like the camel in the Slik Road. Others were used in wars, like horses. The animals that humans use ones that aren't that nurverous around other things (GGS ch 9 pg 172). These animals, deer and antelope, runs away from anything that they think is dangerous to them. The other animals don't run away from that much daner.
Chapter 10 of Guns, Germs, and Steel (GGS pp. 176-191) it focuses on the topic of Plant Domestication. This chapter talks about how the spread of Plant Domestication happened. One of the important locations you must know is the Fertile Crescent because it is one of the earliest places where Plant Domestication happened. The Fertile Crescent is located in Southwest Asia, and therefore Southwest Asia is a very lucky place to have all of these things because it will be one of the many things that will play a big role in the development of this place. Figure 10.2 (GGS pp. 181) shows the spread of The Fertile Crescent crops across western Eurasia. As it is seen, Food Production spread quite rapidly out of the Fertile Crescent. This is the reason that the main domesticated plants in Eurasia come from the Fertile Crescent. Of course there were other places like in the Americas that could have been able to do this, but they would have not been successful. The reason behind this is in the Axis of the continents. In Figure 10.1 (GGS pp. 177) the Axes are identified. Eurasia is the only one that has a West to East axis. Therefore it is the only one that has a wide range of similar climate. Similar climate allowed for the plants to adapt because the other continents didn't have this, their plants were harder to spread rapidly.
Ch. 9 GGS: this chapter tell the reader about domesticated animals. It tells (p159) that domesticated animals went through changes like size, loss of hair, high milk yields, and smaller brains due to domestications. On the table (p160) there are fourteen types of animals and five of those animals are "major". The other table (p162) tells that there were different amounts of animals throughout the world and out of all of the continent, there were very little percentages of domesticated species.
Although there were so many animals that were not domesticated, now I believe that we have the technology to train any animal.
In chapter 8 Apples or Indians is mainly about how if there was people in the area food prodction started. Why, among the areas where agriculture did arise independently, did it develop much earlier in some than others?(GGS Ch.8 pg 131) To answer this question many wild plants were unsuitable for plant domestication. Many hunter-gatherers still didn't want to settle down in one area during this time period. ...the adoption of food production involved a competion between the food producing and the hunter-gathering lifestyles.(GGS Ch.8 pg. 147) This is because food production was more rewarding.
in the past 1000 years the orientation of the continent and geography shaped the native Americans, Africans, and Eurasians. the geography and climate shaped the spreed of crops and livestock. while the orientation shaped when and if writing and inventions would evolve or come up so the evolution of technology and education was based on the location of the civilization which allowed different ideas to expand in different areas.
Domesticating plants gave the people benefits by making the plants grow larger, taste better, and give them more flesh. Also gained crop types, such as cereals, other grasses, pulses, fiber, roots, and melons, which gave them a verity of food to chose from. (pgs.126-127)
Also the domestication of plant had a great affect on the food we even eat today. “yet all crops arose from wild plant species.” ( pg.114) and the main part of this chapter as how to make an almond. But not really, it was talking about the process of making it eatable. Because almonds were poisonous and after many times of panting and improving it, they made it to where you could finally eat it. Then from there they moved on to other fruits and so on. (GGS Ch.7)
Chapter 11 talks about the differences of hunter gatheres and farmers. It exaplains how a hunter gatherer would beat a farmer in a fight but a farmer can produce food better. The farmer wont have to go through the hassle.
Another thing it talks about is the history of germs. It explains how germs come from animals and the time they came the most was when the europeans conquered the americas. The natives were outnumbered and would get sick quicker.
''The grimmest examples of germs' role in history came from the European conquest of the Americas hat began with Columbus's voyage of 1492. Numerouys as were the Native American victims of the murderous Spanish conquistadores, they were far outnumbered by the victims of murderous Spanish Microbes.''
Guns,Germs and Steel
Chapter 11
In chapter 9 of ggs it talks about the domestication animals from all over the world such as eurasia south America Africa and Australia. There are 148 of these animals spread throughout this region. This process of domestication happened from 8500 bc to 2500 bc(ggs pg 165) They also used these animals.to travel, eat, or trade them. But how did all these animals come to meet all in one place?
The reason many species were domesticated was because while some species like snakes or birds were not as useful to humans like cows or horses they were not adapted as widely due to their unrevelence to humans. humans through out history have constantly been shaping the process of domestication depending on their needs. (ggs, chapter 9 , page 159)
Food production was much easier to deal with than hunting ang gathering and people started realizing that.(GGS Chapter 6) Food production seemed to rise in smaller parts of the Earth because of climate reasons, that's one of the reasons why it didnn't appear in some sites either. Food production evolved without intention.(pg 106) As people started farming they suddenly got more food, and became sedentary. Since people had more food there was a growth in population. In some areas food production wasn't the best choice, the land wouldn't be fertile enough or animals would just be better. It all depended on the environmental factors in the area.
Most animal domestication happened a long time ago when they first began to domesticate them. Many types of animals couldn’t be domesticated or never were for the reason that there was no purpose in doing so. Some animals changed in size whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, some getting smaller and some getting larger. (GGS Ch.9 Pg.159) The animal needed to be an omnivore or herbivore, needed a good growing speed, able to stay in and live in a closed environment, able to be tamed, and a few other requirements. (GGS Ch.9 Pg.165) Most animals who were domesticated were domesticated for a purpose; to make the people’s lives easier. Most animals that were domesticated either were used for providing transportation, for military use, or to carry heavy loads of items.
(Guns, Germs, and Steel: Chapter 11)
From this chapter, it is clear that many humans got in contact with diseases from animals. Some of the diseases that have evolved from animals include smallpox, flu, tuberculosis, malaria, plague, measles, and cholera. (PG 196) Some endemic diseases, however, are shared by humans and animal reservoirs: yellow fever, yaws, hookworm, bubonic plague, etc. As a matter of fact, diseases took a big toll in military wars and conquests. Some military histories are said to be won because of their generals, but in reality, the winners of past wars were not always because the armies had great weapons or generals, but because the ones bearing the nastiest germs ended up transferring the disease, therefore killing their enemies. (PG 197) Also, the microbes that cause diseases have many ways of transferring themselves to other humans. Some of the obvious ways are through bugs like mosquitoes. A disease brought in by a foreigner could kill a whole civilization due to the fact that their bodies weren't used to a disease of that type. For example, far more Native Americans died in bed from Eurasian germs than on the battlefield from European weapons. Therefore, Without the diseases, the Europeans may have not conquered the native population of the Americas and some other parts of the world.
In chapter 9 it talks about the animal domestication. This is a very important factor in food production. These animals facilitated the labor needed to plant and crop the food productions. There were some animals that werent made for domestication so it was difficult to use them to ease the labor. But eventually great animals were easily domesticated to help in the food production. All sized animals were great to domesticate because the bigger animals were great for labor and the smaller ones were used for the warmth of their skins and as food supply.
In Chapter 6 of GGS, There is a contrast with in hunters and farmers. The people seek for what is more productive in food supply and find the source of farming. This process makes food production faster and stable to the society. Food was grown in different places and built up technology faster. In some cases food was often traded within societies and was safer to make. The process of farming grew in families to prevent the lack of food when hunting wasn't available.
chapter 11 GGS
in this chapter, its talks about how most disease in the madern day and back in the middle ages originated from animals. Most of these disease spread like wild fire because of all the animals that people had back then and all the crazy things that people did with them (ggs pg 197).
What I found interesting about this topic was that the world was generally divided into five main fertile regions during 8500 B.C.E. The most fertile being the fertile Cresent which developed independently in Southwestern Asia. The second most fertile being the land of Southwest Europe during 5500B.C.E. As for the three remaining regions(Califoria, Southwest Australia, and South Africa's Cape), agriculture was absent until after 1500 C.E.
"To Farm or Not to Farm" (p. 104)
Ch. 10 GGS: this chapter talks about the different axis of the continents. Apparently crops and livestock had trouble spreading because of these axis. Crops spread faster from east to west (or west to east) because the temperature and the day length are the same so this would be an advantage for Asia. If you go from north to south (or south to north) the temperature changes and the day changed.
In chapter 9 of (G.G.S.) Zebras, Unhappy Marriages, and the Anna Karenina Principle. Demesticable animals are all alike; every undomesticated animals is undomesticable in it's own way. Big mammals were crucial for meat, milk production, fertilizer, land transport, plow traction, wool and germs that killed previously unexposed peoples. Small mammals, domestic birds, and insects have also been useful to peopl. Many birds have been domesticated for meat, eggs, and feathers. Dogs and wolves were used for hunting and for local pets. Eurasian people inherited many large herbivores mammals with all the necessary characteristics for domestication than those of other continents.
back in the middle ages there was allot of problems with diseases that where wide spreed epidemics. the cause of this was the animals and an unsanitary living style that provided the disease a place to spreed and cause many problem with health which lead to many deaths with no medicines to treat these illnesses (G.G.S ch.11 pg. 196-198)
(GGs Chapter 5) Food production arose indepnedently in some sites, but for the most part they were brought in. Looking back we have evidence that there was animal and plant domestication because of the fossils. (pg 95) Archaeologists have a unique way of finding out the age of a material found. These techniques can have difficulties in some situations because some of the fossils are mixed in with other materials. At rare occassions plants were domesticated independenlty but at same times. There are many question of wether domestication speard towards an area or evolved there, and in some cases it's hard to know because it was so many years back. People that were introduced to food production adapted towards it and left hunting and gathering. They who adopted fasted were able to get ahead on others activities.
The domestication of larg animals played a big part in food production.they were used to plant large numbers of crops which made it easyer and much faster. they als domescated smaller animals because of there skins and the also supplyed a sorce of food also.so the large animals were used for crops and the smaller animals were used for there meets and other materials.(GGS Ch.9)
Food production prosepered in the Fertile Crescent due to its weather. This weather allowed for almost any type of plant to be grown there and grow there easily. (GGS Ch.8 Pg.135 & 136) Many types of domesticated animals were used for the farming that went on. Many plants were domesticated in the Fertile Crescent as well. Of the 200,000 wild plants that exist, only 200 have been domesticated for the purpose of eating them. 12 species account for 80% of world food tonnage,which consist of these foods: wheat, corn, rice, barley, sorghum, soybean, potato, manioc (casava), sweet potato, sugar cane (world's leading crop), sugar beet, and the banana ( GGS Ch.8 Pg.132)
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