Module 4

• what are the two ways humans sustained themselves?

  hunter-gatherer and food production
• hw has food production increased population size?

  more concentrated food biomass, more consumable calories available
• how do livestock/domesticated animals contribute to food sources?

  1. main source of animal protein
  2. milk and milk products
  3. increase crop yield by manure as fertilizer
  4. pull plows to till land
• how are sedentary farming communities different from hunter-gatherer?

  • shortened time between births
  • place to store food surpluses, leads to chiefdoms/kingdoms, can feed soldiers
• other uses of domesticated plants and animals:

  • materials and clothing
  • land transport
  • war horses
• factors that limit exponential growth are density dependent
• factors that limit exponential growth:

  1. depletion of resources
  2. predation
  3. disease
  4. parasites
  5. stress
• what is the only species with succesful exponential growth?

  humans
• factors when choosing large animal species for domestication:

  • disposition
  • reproduction
  • diet
  • social structure
• what disposition do you want in a domesticated large animal?

  low aggression
• what reproduction do you want in a domesticated large animal?

  young age of maturity, large number of offspring
• what diet do you want in a domesticated large animal?

  herbivory is more efficient/productive
• what social structure do you want in a domesticated large animal?

  herd structures is used to proximity, alpha human
• 5 domesticated large animal species:

  1. cattle
  2. sheep
  3. goat
  4. horse
  5. pig
• what is unique about domesticated pigs?

  omnivores, can be fed human leftovers