geography
an interesting point that diamond made was about geographic placement of people that resulted in technological advances.
he argues it wasn't really any brilliant people that pushed agriculture and technology, but just the luck of the inhabitants' environment.
wild grains of the middle east were much more easy to domesticate because of the plant's original structure which could be easily harvested.
corn, domesticated in the americas, needed a few mutations from its wild predecessor until it was viable for mass production.
diffusion of the domesticates was easier in the Old World becuase fo the larger land area in the latitudes of the plant's origin, rather than the north/south attempt to spread corn into different climate zones, traversing tropical forests and deserts.
domesticated animals were also highly important to obtaining power.
apparently animals that are herd animals and not prone to the "flight" response make the best domesticate.
animals like deer have too much of a flight response to have been domesticated.
oddly, North America lacks too many of these possible domesticates.
the only domesticate really created in the New World was the guinea pig, used for food.
therefore use of horses, mules, and oxen were obvious advances for the use of transporting, beasts of burden, and for agricultural purposes.
horses are good as a warring animal and was probably the major factor in Europe's conquering of the New World.
Ironically, the horse's antecessors were originally from the New World. not until during one of them glacial times did they spread to the old world. then around 12 - 10 thousand years ago they were killed or died off.
diamond gives the idea of an entirely different outcome of the conquistador's infiltration into the New World, if these animals hadn't gone extinct.
luck of the draw in geography and biota gave power over others in use of that environment and technology to come out of its use.
he argues it wasn't really any brilliant people that pushed agriculture and technology, but just the luck of the inhabitants' environment.
wild grains of the middle east were much more easy to domesticate because of the plant's original structure which could be easily harvested.
corn, domesticated in the americas, needed a few mutations from its wild predecessor until it was viable for mass production.
diffusion of the domesticates was easier in the Old World becuase fo the larger land area in the latitudes of the plant's origin, rather than the north/south attempt to spread corn into different climate zones, traversing tropical forests and deserts.
domesticated animals were also highly important to obtaining power.
apparently animals that are herd animals and not prone to the "flight" response make the best domesticate.
animals like deer have too much of a flight response to have been domesticated.
oddly, North America lacks too many of these possible domesticates.
the only domesticate really created in the New World was the guinea pig, used for food.
therefore use of horses, mules, and oxen were obvious advances for the use of transporting, beasts of burden, and for agricultural purposes.
horses are good as a warring animal and was probably the major factor in Europe's conquering of the New World.
Ironically, the horse's antecessors were originally from the New World. not until during one of them glacial times did they spread to the old world. then around 12 - 10 thousand years ago they were killed or died off.
diamond gives the idea of an entirely different outcome of the conquistador's infiltration into the New World, if these animals hadn't gone extinct.
luck of the draw in geography and biota gave power over others in use of that environment and technology to come out of its use.
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