Question 1

What are the similarities and differences in the transition from foraging to food production in the Middle East and Mesoamerica?

Accepted Answer

The transition from foraging to food production in the Middle East and Mesoamerica had both similarities and differences.

Similarities:
1. Agricultural Revolution: Both regions experienced a shift from foraging to food production, leading to the development of agriculture as the primary means of sustenance.
2. Domestication of Plants and Animals: In both regions, people began to domesticate plants and animals for food and other resources, leading to the development of settled communities and the rise of complex societies.
3. Social and Economic Changes: The transition to food production brought about significant social and economic changes in both regions, including the development of social hierarchies, division of labor, and the emergence of trade networks.

Differences:
1. Timing and Pace of Transition: The transition to food production occurred at different times and at different paces in the Middle East and Mesoamerica. In the Middle East, it began around 10,000 BCE, while in Mesoamerica, it started around 4000 BCE.
2. Agricultural Practices: The types of crops and animals domesticated varied between the two regions. In the Middle East, wheat, barley, and sheep were among the first to be domesticated, while in Mesoamerica, maize, beans, and squash were the primary crops.
3. Environmental Factors: The environmental conditions and natural resources in the Middle East and Mesoamerica influenced the methods and techniques of food production. For example, irrigation was crucial in the arid Middle East, while the fertile soils of Mesoamerica allowed for different agricultural practices.

In conclusion, while the transition from foraging to food production in the Middle East and Mesoamerica shared some commonalities, such as the development of agriculture and social changes, there were also significant differences in the timing, agricultural practices, and environmental factors that shaped the process in each region.

Question 2

Food production was a critical step toward the broad-spectrum revolution.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 3

Discuss the genetic changes in the domestication of plants in the New and Old Worlds,and compare the selective factors for these changes in the two areas.How do these facts and their role in the history of domestication help explain the differences between natural selection and artificial selection?

Accepted Answer

The genetic changes in the domestication of plants in the New and Old Worlds were influenced by different selective factors and resulted in different outcomes. In the New World, plants such as maize, beans, and squash were domesticated, while in the Old World, plants like wheat, barley, and rice were domesticated.

In the New World, the selective factors for domestication were likely related to the need for plants that could thrive in the diverse environments of the Americas. This led to genetic changes that allowed for adaptation to different climates and soil types. In the Old World, the selective factors were likely related to the need for plants that could withstand the challenges of large-scale agriculture and trade.

These differences in selective factors led to different genetic changes in the domesticated plants. For example, in the New World, maize was selected for larger kernels and more efficient harvesting methods, while in the Old World, wheat was selected for traits that made it easier to process and store.

These facts and their role in the history of domestication help explain the differences between natural selection and artificial selection. Natural selection is the process by which organisms with traits that are better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, leading to the gradual evolution of a species. In the case of plant domestication, natural selection played a role in the initial adaptation of wild plants to human cultivation.

Artificial selection, on the other hand, is the process by which humans intentionally breed plants or animals for specific traits. This can lead to rapid and dramatic changes in the genetic makeup of a species, as seen in the domestication of plants in both the New and Old Worlds. The different selective factors in each area led to different genetic changes, demonstrating the power of artificial selection in shaping the genetic diversity of domesticated plants.

Question 4

Where do scholars believe food production first began in the Middle East?

Accepted Answer

A)  marginal zones 
B)  alluvial desert 
C)  hilly flanks 
D)  desert oases 
E)  high plateau 
A)  marginal zones 
B)  alluvial desert 
C)  hilly flanks 
D)  desert oases 
E)  high plateau

Question 5

What has been the relationship between geography and climate and the spread of food production? Provide examples.

Accepted Answer

The relationship between geography and c

Question 6

Which of the following was NOT domesticated in the eastern United States?

Accepted Answer

A)  goosefoot 
B)  marsh elder 
C)  corn 
D)  squash 
E)  sunflower 
A)  goosefoot 
B)  marsh elder 
C)  corn 
D)  squash 
E)  sunflower

Question 7

Unlike the centers of domestication in the Old World,very few animals were ever domesticated in the New World.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

When did sedentary life develop in the Middle East?

Accepted Answer

A)  before farming and herding 
B)  after farming, but before herding 
C)  after herding, but before farming 
D)  after farming and herding 
E)  at the same time that farming and herding developed 
A)  before farming and herding 
B)  after farming, but before herding 
C)  after herding, but before farming 
D)  after farming and herding 
E)  at the same time that farming and herding developed

Question 9

With domestication,plants developed thicker husks.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

The foundations of the state-a social and political unit featuring a central government,extreme contrasts of wealth,and social classes-emerged

Accepted Answer

A)  in the alluvial desert plain of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where a new economy based on irrigation and trade fueled the growth of this entirely new form of society. 
B)  out of an attempt to copy, on a larger scale, the lifestyle that early sedentism offered its members prior to the sudden population growth caused by food production. 
C)  in the hilly flanks, because that was the area that could best sustain a growing population. 
D)  at the intersection of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where the abundance of water helped keep a complex irrigation system working. 
E)  against the will of the people, who correctly foresaw the many ills this new form of society would bring upon them. 
A)  in the alluvial desert plain of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where a new economy based on irrigation and trade fueled the growth of this entirely new form of society. 
B)  out of an attempt to copy, on a larger scale, the lifestyle that early sedentism offered its members prior to the sudden population growth caused by food production. 
C)  in the hilly flanks, because that was the area that could best sustain a growing population. 
D)  at the intersection of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where the abundance of water helped keep a complex irrigation system working. 
E)  against the will of the people, who correctly foresaw the many ills this new form of society would bring upon them.

Question 11

In the Middle East,sedentism developed before plants and animals were domesticated.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

What have new dating techniques applied to plant remains revealed about the origins of domestication in the New World?

Accepted Answer

A) Evidence of Mexican peanut hulls dating back 15,000 years confirms that the origin of domestication in the New World preceded food production everywhere else in the world by more than 5,000 years. 
B) Evidence of Peruvian squash seeds dating back 10,000 years has pushed back the origin of domestication in the New World to about the same time that food production arose in the Old World. 
C) Evidence of Ecuadorian potatoes dating back 5,000 years suggests that food production originated in the New World as the result of growing population pressures,particularly in the South American Andes. 
D) Food production in the New World was a result of knowledge brought by the first settlers to the Americas,who crossed Beringia approximately 18,000 years ago. 
E) Food production had originated independently in five different regions of the Americas by 12,000 B.P. 
A) Evidence of Mexican peanut hulls dating back 15,000 years confirms that the origin of domestication in the New World preceded food production everywhere else in the world by more than 5,000 years. 
B) Evidence of Peruvian squash seeds dating back 10,000 years has pushed back the origin of domestication in the New World to about the same time that food production arose in the Old World. 
C) Evidence of Ecuadorian potatoes dating back 5,000 years suggests that food production originated in the New World as the result of growing population pressures,particularly in the South American Andes. 
D) Food production in the New World was a result of knowledge brought by the first settlers to the Americas,who crossed Beringia approximately 18,000 years ago. 
E) Food production had originated independently in five different regions of the Americas by 12,000 B.P.

Question 13

The geography of the Old World facilitated the diffusion of plants,animals,technology,and information.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Three key caloric staples and major sources of carbohydrates were domesticated by Native American farmers.These were

Accepted Answer

A)  maize, teosinte, and peanuts. 
B)  maize, white potatoes, and manioc. 
C)  wheat, maize, and cassava. 
D)  corn, squash, and potatoes. 
E)  corn, beans, and potatoes. 
A)  maize, teosinte, and peanuts. 
B)  maize, white potatoes, and manioc. 
C)  wheat, maize, and cassava. 
D)  corn, squash, and potatoes. 
E)  corn, beans, and potatoes.

Question 15

What is a vertical economy? Why is this concept significant in the history of domestication and food production? In which areas of the world do we see vertical economies?

Accepted Answer

A vertical economy refers to a system of

Question 16

Middle Eastern food production arose in the context of four environmental zones.From highest altitude to lowest,they are

Accepted Answer

A)  high plateau, Natufian fields, Mesopotamia, and alluvial desert (the area watered by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers). 
B)  Zagros, piedmont steppe, hilly flanks, and alluvial plains. 
C)  high plateau, hilly flanks, piedmont steppe, and alluvial desert (the area watered by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers). 
D)  high zone, middle-high zone, middle-low zone, and low zone. 
E)  Ali Kosh, high plateau, Mesopotamia, and piedmont steppe. 
A)  high plateau, Natufian fields, Mesopotamia, and alluvial desert (the area watered by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers). 
B)  Zagros, piedmont steppe, hilly flanks, and alluvial plains. 
C)  high plateau, hilly flanks, piedmont steppe, and alluvial desert (the area watered by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers). 
D)  high zone, middle-high zone, middle-low zone, and low zone. 
E)  Ali Kosh, high plateau, Mesopotamia, and piedmont steppe.

Question 17

The broad-spectrum revolution in Europe included the late Upper Paleolithic and the Mesolithic,which followed it.What tool type characterized the Mesolithic?

Accepted Answer

A)  blade 
B)  core 
C)  axe 
D)  microlith 
E)  spear 
A)  blade 
B)  core 
C)  axe 
D)  microlith 
E)  spear

Question 18

Which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Food production led to an increase in social inequality. 
B)  Food production reduced warfare. 
C)  Food production yielded more nutritious diets. 
D)  Food production allowed most people to work less. 
E)  Food producing societies are more egalitarian than foraging societies. 
A)  Food production led to an increase in social inequality. 
B)  Food production reduced warfare. 
C)  Food production yielded more nutritious diets. 
D)  Food production allowed most people to work less. 
E)  Food producing societies are more egalitarian than foraging societies.

Question 19

Corn,beans,and squash were the major crops to be domesticated in Mexico.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Where did the earliest domestication of animals and plants in the Middle East occur?

Accepted Answer

A)  in desert oases 
B)  in the area where wild forms of wheat and barley grew 
C)  along the banks of the Nile 
D)  in the marginal zone next to the hilly flanks 
E)  in the Fertile Crescent, where the world's first civilization emerged 
A)  in desert oases 
B)  in the area where wild forms of wheat and barley grew 
C)  along the banks of the Nile 
D)  in the marginal zone next to the hilly flanks 
E)  in the Fertile Crescent, where the world's first civilization emerged

Exam 11: The First Farmers

What are the similarities and differences in the transition from foraging to food production in the Middle East and Mesoamerica?

Food production was a critical step toward the broad-spectrum revolution.

Where do scholars believe food production first began in the Middle East?

What has been the relationship between geography and climate and the spread of food production? Provide examples.

Which of the following was NOT domesticated in the eastern United States?

Unlike the centers of domestication in the Old World,very few animals were ever domesticated in the New World.

When did sedentary life develop in the Middle East?

With domestication,plants developed thicker husks.

The foundations of the state-a social and political unit featuring a central government,extreme contrasts of wealth,and social classes-emerged

In the Middle East,sedentism developed before plants and animals were domesticated.

What have new dating techniques applied to plant remains revealed about the origins of domestication in the New World?

The geography of the Old World facilitated the diffusion of plants,animals,technology,and information.

Three key caloric staples and major sources of carbohydrates were domesticated by Native American farmers.These were

What is a vertical economy? Why is this concept significant in the history of domestication and food production? In which areas of the world do we see vertical economies?

Middle Eastern food production arose in the context of four environmental zones.From highest altitude to lowest,they are

The broad-spectrum revolution in Europe included the late Upper Paleolithic and the Mesolithic,which followed it.What tool type characterized the Mesolithic?

Which of the following is true?

Corn,beans,and squash were the major crops to be domesticated in Mexico.

Where did the earliest domestication of animals and plants in the Middle East occur?

What Is Anthropology

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