The chapter you read for this module discussed many of the consequences of domestication and farming for human populations. While in hindsight we can see some of the advantages and disadvantages today, it is important to remember that people who began to domesticate plants and animals thousands of years ago could not have foreseen the long-term effects it would have on the environment and on the future of humanity.
Jared Diamond wrote several articles and even a book on the negative aspects that domestication has had on human populations. In his article “The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race,” he describes the negative consequences of farming for the earliest populations who endeavored to produce their own food.
Another article written later in his career expanded on the spread of farming and the negative consequences that were presented in the first article. For this assignment, you will read both articles to get some background on the topic. After that, for your assignment, you will find examples of these negative consequences in early Neolithic populations by using library resources or the Internet.
1. Read the 1987 article by Jared Diamond, “The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race.”
2. Read the 2002 article by Jared Diamond, “Evolution, Consequences and Future of Plant and Animal Domestication.”
3. Using library resources or Internet sources, search for archaeological evidence to support one of these negative consequences of early domestication in the Neolithic period (e.g., malnutrition, diseases, inequality, etc.). Your assignment should focus on only one of these consequences and deal with the Neolithic period, not modern times.
4. The paper should be 500-600 words long, not including the title page or reference page. Don’t forget to include in-text citations and a reference page for your assignment. Again, refer to the MacEwan University Citing page for details on how to cite sources. Do not exceed the length for the assignment. If you significantly exceed the length, you will lose marks.