a history of agriculture

Question 1

what two conditions were necessary to move towards an agricultural lifestyle

Answer 1

1) Domestication of crop species (‘opportunity’)

2) Agricultural lifestyle had to outcompete H-G lifestyle (‘motive’)

Question 2

what were the possible tipping points of changing to an agricultural lifestyle?

Answer 2

expanding population
diminishing prey
unpredictable climate
local depletion of resources

Question 3

why was the transition irreversible after we changed from hunter gatherers to farmers?

Answer 3

population density increased

Question 4

how many plants have been domesticated?

Answer 4

400,000 species of plant – only around 200 domesticated.

Includes ‘commodity crops’ – flax, cotton, tobacco, coffee, tea, sugar.

• 12 plants provide 80% of the world’s food crop yield

Question 5

how many animals have been domesticated?

Answer 5

Many millions of species of animal – less than 50 domesticated.

• ~25 used for food (inc. honeybee), or mixed use.
• 6 used primarily for transport, labour or materials (inc. silkworm)
• Others mainly companions/pets (inc. dogs, cats)

Question 6

what makes plants ideal for domestication?

Answer 6

Edible.
Nutritious and high
yielding in the wild.
Easily grown from
seed.
Fast-growing annuals.
Storable.
Self-pollinating

Question 7

why are there so few domesticated plants?

Answer 7

there just aren’t that many easy-to-domesticate plants

The most suitable plants were the first ones to be domesticated.

Sub-optimal crops were also domesticated – but much more slowly.

Anything with multiple disadvantages unlikely to be domesticated.

Question 8

what makes animals ideal for domestication?

Answer 8

Big.
Simple diet. (No carnivores, no
fussy eaters)
Breeds in captivity.
Fast-growing.
Not overly violent, not overly flighty.
Social structure – herding instinct,
dominance hierarchy.