Summary
Summary Domestication and Agriculture
- Institution
- University Of Leeds (UoL)
Detailed notes on Domestication and Agriculture
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
BLGY1211 Domestication and Agriculture 2Initial domestication
Hunter-gatherer societies knew nothing about genetics, breeding inheritance ect but
they probably knew a huge amount about local plants and animals
They had no teleological goal of domesticating crops but may have had the goal of
increasing food supply
Pre-conditions for domestication
In the case of plants – sedentary lifestyle; somewhere to grow plants
Knowledge and management of local species
Pre-farming societies in the Levant – diet included at least 157 species of plant
Hunting and herding of animals a likely precursor for their domestication
Unconscious domestication
The best candidates or domestication were practically there already
Edible, high-yielding, storable (and fast-growing, self-pollinating)
H-g societies in the fertile crescent already harvested wild grasses
Yield of 1 ton/hectare; 1 kcal spent harvesting 50 kcal of seed
Provided a stable source of food throughout the year
Wild barley and wheat spikes shatter – seed dispersal
Harvesting and transporting automatically selects for shatter resistant spikes and
tends to select for largest grains
Storing inevitably leads to escapees
Shatter-resistant grasses growing nect to settlements; a massive bonus
You can purify natural variation without thinking about it
The key human decision is to actively re-plant from locally harvested seeds
Wild grass seeds are programmed to germinate over ~4 year periods
By planting, harvesting and re-planting, plants with weak dormancy and synchronous
germination were automatically selected for These two changes were sufficient
for wheat/barley domestication
Many subsequent improvements, but not needed for the initial domestication
Maize was domesticated by the same general process
A much slower process, because the wild ancestor was far from an ideal crop
therefore greater degree of improvement required
The teosinte-maize kinship has only been recently recognised teosinte seeds likely
gathered as a last resort by h-g’s
5 major genetic changes occurred and all were unconsciously selected for;
Prevention of seed dehiscence
Reduction in seed case
Increase in ear size
Increase in flower number
Alteration of branching architecture
Maize took much longer to domesticate because;
It had lower potential to begin with
More major genetic changes were needed to domesticate it
Combining traits without knowledge of plant breeding is difficult
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller 7joshlyons7. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £2.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
64438 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now