VKU 250 – DOMESTICATION + BREED DEVELOPMENT
(FULL MASTER NOTES)
1. LEARNING OUTCOMES (VERY IMPORTANT)
You must be able to:
• Explain why domestication happened
• Describe origins & migration of livestock
• Explain changes during domestication
• Understand selection (VERY IMPORTANT)
• Classify:
o Species
o Breeds
o Biological types
• Understand traits & phenotypes
• Know chromosome & naming basics
If it’s here → it WILL be tested.
2. HISTORY OF DOMESTICATION (DEEP
UNDERSTANDING)
VERY IMPORTANT IDEA:
Domestication was NOT planned
Early humans did NOT decide “let’s farm”
WHY DID IT HAPPEN THEN?
Because of TWO BIG CHANGES:
(A) ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE (ICE AGE)
From page 5:
• Climate became unpredictable
• Big animals decreased
• Humans increased in number
Result:
Food became uncertain
Meaning:
Humans had to:
• Stop relying only on hunting
• Start controlling food
, (B) HUMAN BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
From page 6:
• Hunter-gatherers → agriculture
• Needed more reliable food
KEY IDEA
Domestication gave ADVANTAGES:
• Stable food supply
• Population growth
• Settlements
MEMORY TRICK
“Uncertainty → Control → Domestication”
3. ORIGIN OF DOMESTICATION
KEY LOCATION:
Fertile Crescent (Cradle of Civilisation)
Why here?
• Good climate
• Good plants
• Good animals
First place farming started
4. CASE STUDY (VERY EXAM IMPORTANT)
WHEAT & BARLEY
Wild plants:
• Seeds fall off (hard to collect)
Mutation:
• Seeds DON’T fall off
What happened?
Humans:
• Collected seeds
• Dropped some
• Planted some
Selected this mutation without knowing
KEY TERM:
Unconscious selection
(FULL MASTER NOTES)
1. LEARNING OUTCOMES (VERY IMPORTANT)
You must be able to:
• Explain why domestication happened
• Describe origins & migration of livestock
• Explain changes during domestication
• Understand selection (VERY IMPORTANT)
• Classify:
o Species
o Breeds
o Biological types
• Understand traits & phenotypes
• Know chromosome & naming basics
If it’s here → it WILL be tested.
2. HISTORY OF DOMESTICATION (DEEP
UNDERSTANDING)
VERY IMPORTANT IDEA:
Domestication was NOT planned
Early humans did NOT decide “let’s farm”
WHY DID IT HAPPEN THEN?
Because of TWO BIG CHANGES:
(A) ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE (ICE AGE)
From page 5:
• Climate became unpredictable
• Big animals decreased
• Humans increased in number
Result:
Food became uncertain
Meaning:
Humans had to:
• Stop relying only on hunting
• Start controlling food
, (B) HUMAN BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
From page 6:
• Hunter-gatherers → agriculture
• Needed more reliable food
KEY IDEA
Domestication gave ADVANTAGES:
• Stable food supply
• Population growth
• Settlements
MEMORY TRICK
“Uncertainty → Control → Domestication”
3. ORIGIN OF DOMESTICATION
KEY LOCATION:
Fertile Crescent (Cradle of Civilisation)
Why here?
• Good climate
• Good plants
• Good animals
First place farming started
4. CASE STUDY (VERY EXAM IMPORTANT)
WHEAT & BARLEY
Wild plants:
• Seeds fall off (hard to collect)
Mutation:
• Seeds DON’T fall off
What happened?
Humans:
• Collected seeds
• Dropped some
• Planted some
Selected this mutation without knowing
KEY TERM:
Unconscious selection
