More on history?

Question

How does comparing mutations help one trace the spread of agriculture?

Answer 1

Find yourself a copy of the book.

http://www.wwnorton.com/rgguides/gunsger...

Answer 2

If you look at a plant/ crop like corn of which there are a huge number of varieties and uses, compare it with the original specimens of the grain found in archaeological digs and wild family members still growing in the area, one can get a real good idea about agricultural history in that particular region, in this case central Mexico maybe as long as 9000 years ago. Looking at the original plant and the manipulations and mutations by chance or on purpose has given us a lot of history and heredity/ genealogy of a family. Look at potatoes which were found in Central and South America. In the mid to late 1500's they made their way to Spain and spread out from there all around Europe, going north to Russia, and west to India and the Himalayans. Later, if you remember your history, a lot of history and research, as well as a lot of science came out of the Irish potato famine. From there another huge movement of people came to the North American continent and the potato found its way back westward. By looking at the individual history of that vegetable in each region and looking at the genetics of the varieties found (there are near 5000 varieties) one can see a lot of agricultural history. How the potato changed, the short day variety and long day variety that was found and cultivated was a good example of mutation and manipulation. Grapes and the grains where other plant examples of old world plants grown over a huge span of time and their archaeological remains often turn up with the tools of the farmer from the age they were farmed. One might not recognize the original plants for the changes it has gone through. Don't forget about farm animals and the history that goes with all the varieties that make up farm life in all parts of the world. So many animals went with us as we moved to colonize the globe. Their ancestors are still found and the genetics studies fill volumes and answer a lot of questions, filling in the pages of our agro-history. The changes, the breeding, the varieties, and with new high tech genetics studies, so much has been opened up for study in mutation and manipulation.