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How Agriculture Originated ?

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Origins of agriculture

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The origins of agriculture are the active production of useful plants and animals in ecosystems. These have been created by humans. Although agriculture has been often viewed narrowly as a collection of specific activities and organisms (e.g., wet-rice production in Asia, European wheat farming, cattle ranching in the Americas), a holistic view of the subject suggests that humans are environmental engineers who create disturbances to terrestrial habitats in particular ways. Clearing vegetation and tilling the soil can cause many localized changes. Common effects include an increase of light reaching the ground and less competition between organisms. An area might produce more plants and animals than people need for technology, medicine, or food. 


 Some animals and plants have been domesticated over time. They are dependent on humans for long-term survival and propagation. Domestication refers to a biological process where organisms are given characteristics to increase their utility. For example, larger plants produce more fruits or seeds than their wild counterparts. Cultigens are plants that have been domesticated from closely related genera. Because of their particular characteristics, cultigens have been domesticated easily with the Poaceae (Grass), Fabaceae (Bean)  and nightshade (Potato or Solanaceae). 

 The majority of domesticated animals are derived from wild species and could, just like plants, be bred to improve their traits. Domesticated animals tend to be more gentle than wild ones and produce more meat, wool, and milk. They are used to transport, transport, pest control and assistance. There are many domesticated species, or breeds of species, that include the dog (Canis familiaris), cat (Felis catus), cow (Bos species), sheep (Ovis species), goat (Capra species), horse (Equus Caballus), chicken(Gallus gallus), duck (family Anatidae), and swine (Sus species). 

 Agriculture is a cultural phenomenon that has seen a lot of variation over time and space. The domestication of animals and plants has been done (and continues to be done) at different scales, from small-scale to large commercial enterprises. This article focuses on the many activities involved in food production and the cultural factors that led to domesticated animals. This article discusses the various research methods used to determine the origins and the trajectory of agricultural development in ancient societies throughout the Americas, Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia and Europe. Horticulture provides details on techniques for habitat modification and plant propagation.  


Techniques of research used. 


Many regions around the globe have seen agriculture develop independently. This was the first major change in the relationship between modern humans and their environment. Humans evolved to their present form around 200,000 years ago (see human evolutionary). However, they didn’t begin farming until 15,000-11,000 years before the present (BP). Archaeology is the best source of data to study the history of agriculture. This is because humans altered wild habitats in productive ways before they invented unambiguous writing systems. It happened in Southwest Asia around 5100 BP, and East Asia approximately 3000 BP.


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Radiocarbon dating offers a chronometric framework to archaeological research. Radiocarbon analysis used large amounts of material before the 1980s. Because of their robust size and unique composition, animal bones have been a reliable source for samples for radiocarbon analysis. Faunal remains are routinely tested for morphological, genetic and biochemical analysis.  


While it might seem that plant remains have been lost in the archaeological records, there are often small amounts of charred plants found in ancient hearths or middens. Charring preserves the material and allows for identification by genus, species, and other qualitative or quantitative analysis forms. Archaeologists usually recover plant materials by placing the sediments from pits or hearths in water. The plant remains then float to the surface where they can be retrieved. Archaeologists had to date plants indirectly because they have smaller and more fragile remains than animals. This was because the plant remains were not found in the sediments. Radiocarbon dating has become more common and can date small amounts of material such as a single seed. Direct dating of plant remains replaced the old indirect methods in serious research on the origins and evolution of agriculture.


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Picture Credit:- https://www.slideshare.net/MauCudiamat/palynology-pollen-morphology-and-biology




Palynology, the study of pollen and phytolith analysis, can provide additional information about plant domestication. Phytoliths can be described as tiny silica bodies produced by many plants. Each phytolith forms within a cell of a plant to provide support for the structure. Each phytolith keeps the original shape of the cell it was created in, which may be very specific to one type of plant. Starch grains also have a distinctive appearance and can be preserved for long periods. These can often be found on the surface of pots or stone tools, and they are often the only way for food to be identified, such as potatoes. An archaeologist can gain additional information about the plants growing near or on archaeological sites by identifying and quantifying their pollen, phytoliths, starch grains, and other elements found in archaeological sediments.


Knowledge Source:- www.britannica.com



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