Chapter Nine shows how crops and livestock came in prehistoric times to be domesticated from ancestral wild plants and animals, by societies who could have had no vision of the outcome.
Geographic differences in the local suites of wild plants and animals available for domestication go a long way toward explaining why only a few areas became independent centers of food production, and why it arose earlier in some of those areas than in others.
Jared Diamond discusses how successfully domesticated animal species, like the happy families of Anna Karenina, are all alike in that all requirements--not just some--must be satisfied.
Anna Karenina principle applies to animals in that one reason many could not be domesticated would disqualify
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Efforts to domesticate the eland, elk, moose, musk ox, zebra, and bison have met with limited success.
Only fourteen large animals have been domesticated: sheep, goat, cow, pig, horse, Arabian camel, Bactrian camel, llama and alpaca, donkey, reindeer, water buffalo, yak, Bali cattle, and Mithan (gayal, domesticated Gaur).
You will find that this chapter is less concerned with small animals such as guinea pigs and birds, which do not provide transportation, military uses, or load carrying.
The requirements for domestication are:
(1) omnivore or herbivore (exception: dog),
(2) rapid growth (elephants too slow),
(3) breed well in captivity (cheetahs need more room, vicuña's long mating rituals are inhibited),
(4) suitable disposition (grizzly bear, hippo, onager, zebra, and African buffalo cannot be
As these wildernesses were converted into farmland by the Americans, they would exacerbate the First Nation’s problems. They would drive away the animals and game that was necessary for their food, clothing, and fur trade. Once these independent
That the animals common both to the old and new world are smaller in the latter. 2. That those peculiar to the new are on a smaller scale. 3. That those which have been domesticated in both have degenerated in America: and 4.
Due to the desire for advancement of trade, the known way of Indian life of taking a minimal amount from the land was altered and “disintegrated of their earlier ecological practices” (99)1. Indians began to kill an increasing number of animals of several species (beaver, otter, moose, fox, etc.) (99)1. By the Seventeenth century, this caused New England’s animal populations to decline drastically. (100)1.
Through granting of the land with no acknowledgement of prior ownership shows the disregard for the Natives, and the Europeans view of how the land should be used. In order to “improve” the land, much more agriculture and use of livestock would be introduced. With the Europeans introducing livestock to their land, it had crucial ecological consequences. Animals like hogs, became “weed” animals, and invaded/destroyed fields, crops, while providing prey to the
Diamond’s analysis is concise and easy to comprehend. He makes insightful points on the impact of agriculture as a weapon. He also reminds the reader that even though societies domesticated food, it did not necessary mean that they ceased hunting. It is important to note that hunting and agriculture co-existed among certain societies (102). Food production was a drawn out process, and in some areas, it did not occur until present day.
Just imagine how much of a struggle it would be attempting to tame wild animals. In the adventure book, Swiss Family Robinson, the family tames all sorts of animals while stranded on an island. These animals were put to use for many purposes that made their lives easier. A buffalo and an ostrich are just two of the many difficult animals that were tamed.
The development of agriculture and the rise of industrialization generated new cultures and innovations in the new world. Native people in early America developed cultural distinct , men were in charge of the fishing, hunting, jobs that were more exposed to violence, and the women stayed closed to the village, farming, and child bearing. The way of life possessed by natives Americans did not compel them to conquer and transform new land. As opposed to European colonizers, Native Americans subscribed to a more “animistic” understanding of nature. In which they believed that plants and animals are not commodities, they are something to be respected rather than used.
In Animal Farm, a fairy story by George Orwell, farm animals overthrow the tyranny that is human rule and replace it with a tyranny of their own. The working animals live in terrible conditions, while the pigs do none and live in far better conditions than the rest of the animals. The pigs make sure that all of the animals follow what they say, all the time. They are able to manipulate the farm animals in a way that lets them have total control. The farm animals unknowingly cause themselves anguish by being ignorant of their leader’s injustice towards them.
Discussion Question #3 Andrew Isenberg cites the horse, fur trade, and epidemic disease as the main factors for Plains Indians shifting from semi-sedentary nomadic hunters by the start of the 19th century. The largest impact on the Plains Indian way of life was the reintroduction of the horse to the Americas by Spanish colonists. Before having the extended range to more easily and efficiently hunt bison, Plains Indians had diverse methods of food procurement. These methods, called ecological “safety nets” by William Cronon and Richard White, included gathering numerous plants, hunting different types of animals, and raising crops (65).
They practice specialization and brought tractors in order to boost the crop yields. It effectively increases the crop yield and encourages farmers to grow more. However, the specialization leads to the monoculture. And, the persistent of monoculture eventually leads to the loss of biodiversity. “A case can be made that the corn plant’s population explosion on places like Iowa us responsible for pushing out not only other plants but the animals and finally the people, too”(Pollan 38).
That wild animal of yours is unpredictable and not domesticated. The quote claims “Exotic animals are wild animals with wild animal instincts, even when born in captivity. A wild animal is never 100 percent predictable. An animal that has behaved one way for many years cannot suddenly change. Domestication is not something that happens in one or two generations: it takes hundreds or thousands of years” (Lewis).
A player can choose or not choose to tame animals at all in the game. Though the game can be made easier or difficult depending on choices, it is not necessary to tame
All living species should be treated with care and respect, no organisms should be made a commodity for the sake of human interest. Exotic animals, which are unusual or rare species such as lions, tigers, and non-human primates – are nowadays kept within households as pets. However, according to research, 98% of the people believe that exotic animals should not be kept as “pets”. Such opinions are due to several reasons that are sometimes supported and other times opposed.
19- Overall/Summary Questions In response to Yali’s question, everything came down to the location and settlement of people back in ancient times. Since some areas were not suitable for farming, they remained hunter-gatherers and carried on with their lives. Like New Guinea, these were the countries that would soon be backed-up on all the technological innovations and items produced that were brought into the world later on. Since food production was what off-set these creations, those regions that had perfect climate year-round had many advantages over others.
Maintaining an environment suitable for an animal from a different ecosystem is extremely time consuming and expensive. Modern day homes are not equipped with backyard jungles for Bengal tigers, or large amounts of spaces with objects for chimpanzees to climb on. It is nearly impossible for exotic pet owners to imitate the natural homes of these animals, which is what they require to ensure the animal lives a comfortable life. What most fail to realize is that these animals will not be able to adapt from a South American jungle, or African plain to a caged in backyard with a completely foreign ecosystem and lifestyle than these animals are meant to belong in. Finding veterinary care for exotic animals is a difficult task, let alone being able to meet the dietary needs of large, carnivorous animals or massive mammals.