Flashcards on Plant Domestication and Crop Diversity
Plant Domestication and Crop Diversity: A Student's Guide
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Crop domestication
77 cards
Card 1
Question: What is domestication (in the context of animals or plants)?
Answer: A process whereby a population of animals or plants becomes accustomed to human provision and control.
Card 2
Question: List four human uses of domesticated plants mentioned in the content.
Answer: Produce food or valuable commodities, help with work (transportation/protection), be kept as pets or ornamental plants, provide other processed produc
Card 3
Question: Approximately when and where did the earliest human attempts at domestication occur?
Answer: Circa 11,000 BC in Asia (pre-Neolithic groups in Syria showing rye with domestic traits).
Card 4
Question: What domesticated plant was used as a container before ceramics and around when?
Answer: Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) used as a container circa 10,000 BC.
Card 5
Question: When and where were cereal crops first domesticated?
Answer: Circa 9,000 BC in the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East.
Card 6
Question: What types of crops were first domesticated and which followed later?
Answer: First: annuals with large seeds or fruits (pulses and grains). Later: perennials and small trees (e.g., apples and olives).
Card 7
Question: Give two example species listed that illustrate early domesticated or cultivated plants.
Answer: Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) and rye (Secale cereale).
Card 8
Question: Name three crop species mentioned as examples of domesticated plants.
Answer: Maize (Zea mays), Peach (Prunus persica), Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).
Card 9
Question: What changes in biomass allocation are associated with domestication?
Answer: More biomass allocated to harvested parts such as fruits, roots, or stems (increased yield and product quality).
Card 10
Question: How does domestication affect uniformity and predictability of crops?
Answer: Increases uniformity in growth responses (e.g., day length), germination (higher rates, uniform timing, loss of seed dormancy), and morphology/anatomy