I am reading Guns, Germs, and Steel. Can you please define "PLANT DOMESTICATION". Thanks! :)

Question

I am reading Guns, Germs, and Steel. Can you please define "PLANT DOMESTICATION". Thanks! :)

Answer 1

Corn is a very good example

Answer 2

It's taking a native, wild plant and slowly selecting its offspring which have the traits that you want (large seeds, easy to harvest, etc.) until you eventually get a plant that is totally different from the wild version and probably couldn't grow and thrive without human intervention

Answer 3

I think Elvira goes a bit far.

I think in the context, 'plant domestication' is simply the process

of selecting a plant, and cultivating it in a specific place.

The selection for desirable traits would soon follow, but is not

necessarily part of the named process.