chapter 11 origins of agriculture

Question 1

Paleolithic

Answer 1

• paleo = old, lithic = stone
• Homo sapiens evolve in eastern Africa
• 200,000 BP

Question 2

End of Paleolithic

Answer 2

• humans start to settle in permanent locations and use agriculture
• 10,000 BP
• 10,000/200,000 years = only 5% of Homo sapiens time as agriculturalists

Question 3

Paleolithic diet

Answer 3

• dependent on location
• greater variety of plants and animals than agricultural societies
• paleo diet hypothesis: humans evolved to eat harvested meats/fruits/seeds and not domesticated grains

Question 4

What could be problems with diets emphasizing grain products?

Answer 4

• not enough protein
• too much grain
• grain has a higher glycemic index

Question 5

Forensic Botany: Why are pollen, fiber, seeds, and phytoliths used in archeology to determine ancient diets?

Answer 5

• they don’t degrade rapidly

Question 6

Modern Foragers: !Kung

Answer 6

• lived near Kalahari Desert of southern Africa for 10,000 years
• utilize 100 plant and 50 animal species
• very nutritious diet
• forage 2.5 days per week

Question 7

Explain the success of foraging as a survival strategy for early humans

Answer 7

• had no other places to get food
• used prairie plants as medicine
• other plants were used for sustainment

Question 8

Early Agriculture: Near East

Answer 8

• ex. Jarmo (northeast Iraq) in Fertile Crescent (9000BP)
• domesticated wheat and barely
• continued to forage wild animals and plants
• domestication of cats and dogs (all dog breeds more genetically related to Near East wolves)
• cats were domesticated to help get rid of rodents

Question 9

Far East

Answer 9

• domestication of rice 11,500 BP may predate all other grains
• domesticated silkworm: 500 BP

Question 10

New World

Answer 10

• greater domestication of plants than animals
• squash: 10,000 BP
• Corn: 5,500 BP

Question 11

Domesticated plant characteristics

Answer 11

• artificially selected, may not help species survive and reproduce
• husks in corn to hold seeds: pose an advantage for cultivation, prevent decay, good for harvesting
• Non shattering head (one nucleotide change in rice) - made it easier to harvest and eat but bad for wild plants bc lack of seed dispersal
• larger edible parts
• loss of seed dormancy: wait to germinate during good season
• single stems, fewer and larger flower/fruit

Question 12

Fruits and wild cherry trees are sour tasting while domesticated cherry fruit are sweet. Why?

Answer 12

• better flavor and more likable taste

Question 13

Centers of plant domestication

Answer 13

• Vavilov’s hypothesis: greatest diversity of a crop would most likely be the center of origin
• Recent evidence: domestication of certain crops occurred more than once or occurred over vast regions