Lec. 14 Farming Flashcards
Which two species of social mammals were present in the same landscapes and during the same climatic events as humans in Africa?
Spotted Hyenas and baboons.
Which came first permanent settlements or farming?
Settlements
Name five areas of the world that independently developed farming:
China, Papua New Guinea, Mesopotamia, Central America, West Africa.
What changes happened to the African yam as it was domesticated?
It got bigger, starchier, and more regular in shape.
What are the advantages of paddy rice over dry rice and what are the disadvantages?
Advantages:
More production, up to three crops a year,
Disadvantages:
much more work intensive, requires
coordination for irrigation.
What might walled cities have to do with farming?
Accumulated surplus foods collected by taxes needed protection
What do chili peppers, vanilla, cocoa, papaya, peanuts, tomato, avocado, and
sweet potatoes have in common?
They all originated in Central America.
What is wrong about the notion of agricultural revolution?
the early beginnings of agriculture were likely much more gradual.
Why was the shift from foraging to farming irreversible?
The higher population numbers cannot survive on the altered landscapes
What is the evidence for the origin of wheat and barley in the fertile crescent?
The distribution of their wild counterparts and archeological evidence for non-shattering years.
Did the adoption of farming lead to better health of human populations?
No, it contributed to a range of novel health problem associated with hard work, lack of dietary diversity and poverty
How could larger cities have contributed to disease burden?
high density of people, better for spread of infectious disease likely to cause more social stress water supply very prone to getting infected cities rely on trade, trade can bring disease..
Which are the vastest areas of South America and Africa that are devoid (lacking) of croplands or pastures?
- Amazon basin in SA
- the Sahara Desert
- Congo basin in Africa
What novel risk did agriculture bring for people?
famine
warfare
taxation
social inequality
Which were the first two mammal species to be domesticated?
Dogs and pigs.
What was the contrast in animal domestication between the Old World (Asia and Europe) and the New World (the Americas)?
fewer animals species domesticated in the New World: dogs arrive with first waves from Asia, turkey and lama/alpaca, and guinea pig.
How were watermelons genetically altered to change size from a berry sized fruit to a large juicy melon?
By selective breeding.
Why is pollen from male date palm collected and sold commercially?
It allows planters to mostly plant female trees and increase their harvests of the sweet fruit.
Name two important non-food cash crops.
Tobacco for smoking and woad for dying fabrics.
How did bottle gourds arrive in America?
The fruit drifted with cross-Atlantic currents and were later re-domesticated by native Americans.
What grain was used to make the oldest noodles ever found?
Millet
How do granaries work?
They keep stored grain dry, in the dark and with minimum chances of access by pests (rodents).
