Index

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A&P Foodstores (retailers) 171

aboriginals, Australian 77

Abu Hureyra, Syria, archaeological site 56, 70

adzes (tool) 218

adzuki beans 211, 223

aggression and violence:

in humans 312–15, 317

in other species 316

Agouti Signalling Protein gene (ASIP) 35, 36

agrochemicals see fertilisers, synthetic; herbicides; pesticides

Alcinous (mythological figure) 271

Alexander the Great 222

Almaty, Kazakhstan 265, 269

almonds 211

Altai Mountains, Siberia 15, 27, 246, 269

altitude:

and centres of early domestication 302

high-altitude adaptation in humans 297–8

‘American interchange, great’ (faunal exchange) 232

Ameryk, Richard 124

antelope 75, 92–3, 244

Anthony, David 244, 256

Aphrodite (mythological figure) 271

apples (Malus domestica) 262–80

classification, history and spread of wild apples 264–71, 277–80

cultivation, propagation and domestication 266, 271–80, 307–8, 321

genetic make-up 271, 277–80, 329, 330

apple species and varieties 265–7, 276–7

Ambrosia 277

Braeburn 277

Cox’s Orange Pippin 276

Egremont Russet 276

Golden Delicious 277

Granny Smith 276

McIntosh 276

Malus baccata 267

Malus dasyphylla 265

Malus praecox 265

Malus pumila 277

Malus sieversii 265, 266–7, 277, 278, 279

Malus sylvestris 265, 266, 278, 279

‘Appleseed, Johnny’ 321

apricots 219, 270, 274

Aristotle 179

art 73–5, 237–8, 255, 259, 313

Arthur, Prince of Wales 125–6

artificial incubation 196

artificial insemination 107

‘artificial selection’, use of term 2–4, 302–4

Aşikli Höyük, Turkey, archaeological site 99

asses 75, 232–3, 236, 251, 252

Aston, Mick 84

Astrohippus (extinct early equid) 232

aubergines, genetically modified 186, 209, 210, 323

Aubrey, John 263

aurochsen 50, 83–4, 87–8, 99, 100, 108–110

hunting 83–4, 88–91, 108

Avalon (mythical island) 270, 275

Aviagen (chicken breeding company) 173–4

avian flu 183–4, 187

avian malaria 186–7

axes 78, 218, 247

Axomama (Incan goddess) 154

Aymara people 154

Aztecs 118, 130, 307

baguales (feral horses) 230, 231

Bakewell, Robert 106

Balic, Adam 176–8, 182

Baligang, China, archaeological site 221

Balkweg, Netherlands, archaeological site 89–90

Bardsey Island, Gwynedd, monastery 276

barking 30–32, 43

barley 55–6, 65, 75, 94, 176, 215, 269, 301

genetic make-up 66–7, 68

threshing and grinding 57–8

Bateson, William 51–2

Bauhin, Gaspard 160

bears 31, 79, 238, 267–8, 283

Bedul Bedouin 60

beer-brewing 76, 176, 217

bees 3, 145, 303, 320

Behcet’s disease 299

Belyaev, Dmitry, fox breeding experiment 28–30, 34–5, 312, 313–14, 321

Benedictine Reform 195

Beringia (prehistoric land bridge) 12, 19, 116, 142–3, 231, 232, 233, 292–3

Beyer, Peter 206

Bible 160, 270, 274, 320

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 186, 324

biofuels 182, 307

birth rates (of humans) 306

bison and buffalo 234, 238, 244, 326

Black Death 113

Bluefish Caves, Canada, archaeological site 233

boar, wild 90, 217, 240, 268, 330

Board, Ernest, The Departure of John and Sebastian Cabot 123, 126

Bock, Jerome 119

bonobos 312–13, 316–17

Book of Poetry, The (Chinese) 222

Botai, Kazakhstan, archaeological site 244–5

horse remains 245–6, 250

Bouldnor Cliff, Isle of Wight, archaeological site 48–51, 80–81

Boxgrove, Sussex, archaeological site 233, 237

Boyer, Herbert 202

brain size 143, 149, 285–6

bread-making 57–8, 70, 75, 81

brewing 76, 176, 217

Bristol 123, 124–5, 126

Bristol Zoo, wolf pack 26–7, 30–31

broad beans 55

broomcorn see sorghum

brow ridges:

of humans 285, 314

of Neanderthals 281, 282

Brown, Dan, The Da Vinci Code 174

BSE (mad cow disease) 202–3, 204, 210

Bt Brinjal (genetically modified aubergine) 186, 209, 210, 323

buffalo and bison 234, 238, 244, 326

bull-fighting 104

burial rituals 78, 246–7, 248, 308–9

Bushmen (San people) 92, 293, 304

Busk, George 282–3

Butler, Samuel 170

Byzantine Empire 276

Cabot, John 123–6, 128, 307

Cabot, Sebastian 123, 126, 128

calcium 93, 294

calculus, dental, analysis of 94–5

camels 234

Candolle, Alphonse de 52

Cann, Rebecca 286

cannabis 219

carbon dating 70, 148

carbon dioxide, atmospheric levels of 71, 76, 301, 318, 319

caribou 234

Carmelites 159–60

carrots 55, 160

Cartier, Jacques 128

cartography 114

carvings, stone 73–5, 309

Catalhöyük, Turkey, archaeological site 305–6, 317

Catherine of Aragon 125–6

Catherine the Great, Russian Empress 162

cattle (Bos taurus) 82–110, 202–3, 240, 327

dating and locations of early domestication 91, 95, 99–101, 102, 220, 244, 268, 303, 309, 330–31

genetic make-up 100, 101, 105, 109–110

interbreeding, hybridisation and selection 100–102, 104–8, 109–110

size 83, 102–4, 105, 309

see also milk production

cattle species and varieties 100, 105, 106

Ayrshire 106

banteng 102

Criollo 106

Dexter 109–110

Girolando 106

Highland 109–110

Holstein-Friesian 107

longhorn 106

Sanga 101

shorthorn 106

Welsh Black 109–110

zebu 100, 101, 102, 105, 106, 331

see also aurochsen

cavalries 248, 259, 309

Cave of the Three Windows, Peru, archaeological site 152

cave paintings 237–8, 255, 259, 313

Cayonu, Turkey 73, 77

Cerro Guido ranch, Chile 227–30

Ceylon junglefowl 189

Chapman, John (‘Johnny Appleseed’) 321

Charles, Prince of Wales 203

cheese-making 97–8, 217, 310–311

Chernobyl nuclear power plant 240

cherries 274

chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) 170–96, 240, 308

genetic make-up 176, 179–80, 188–9, 190–91, 192–3, 194–5, 196

origins and domestication 187–94, 303, 308

selective breeding and genetic modification 170–87, 194–6, 323, 324, 330

chicken breeds 193

Arbor Acre 173

Booted Bantam 193

Breda Fowl 193

Lakenvelder 193

Leghorn 173, 196

Red Cornish 173

Silkie 196

Chicken-of-Tomorrow competition 171–3, 194, 308

chickpeas 55, 117, 223, 301

Chicomecoatl (Aztec goddess) 130

child development 315

Childe, Gordon 64, 65

chilli 116–17

chimpanzees 143, 148, 312–13, 316

chuño (freeze-dried potatoes) 154–5

cider apples and cider-making 275, 278–9, 307–8

cinnamon 113, 223

Cinteotl (Aztec god) 130

Cistercians 276

citrus fruits 211, 274

climate change 103, 187, 215–16, 236, 244, 267, 301, 302, 318–19

see also Ice Age, ending of; Younger Dryas

clones and cloning (asexual reproduction) 163, 164, 167, 272–3, 280

Clovis culture 142, 234

co-evolution 303, 305–312, 330

Coast (television series) 84

Cobb-Vantress (chicken breeding company) 173–4

cockfighting 194, 308

cocoa 319

coffee 117, 319

Cohen, Stanley 202

Colling, Robert and Charles 106

Columbian Exchange 116–17, 167, 223, 224

Columbus, Christopher 105–6, 113–16, 118, 121, 123, 307

communication:

animal–human 31, 260–61

human language development 247, 250, 308, 313

cooking, development of 89–90, 94, 149, 217, 222, 223

see also bread-making

copper 247, 248, 249

coriander 55

corn syrup, high-fructose 307

Cornille, Amandine 277–8, 279

cortisol (hormone) 34

cotton, genetically modified 201, 207, 208, 209

cowpeas 224

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease 203

CRISPR (genetic-engineering technique) 181–2, 183, 184

Crittenden, Alyssa 144–6

Cro-Magnons 285–6

crop-rotation 161

cucumbers 211

Cueva Tres Ventanas, Peru, archaeological site 152

dairy farming 95–7, 103, 107, 310–311

dairy products see cheese-making; milk production and consumption

Darwin, Charles 2–4, 36, 52, 168–9, 235–6, 276, 282, 303–4, 321, 330

on cattle 100

on chickens 188

on dogs 32

on maize 133–5

on potatoes 150–51

see also natural selection, theory of

Darwin, Sir Francis 52

date palms 272

Daytona Beach, Florida 84

deforestation 325–6

Denisovan hominins 290, 298, 299

dental analysis and research 93–5, 143–4, 147, 235–6, 245–6

Diamond, Jared 95, 302

Dias, Bartolomeu 113, 115

digging sticks 141, 143, 146, 147, 150

dingoes 17, 39, 41

Dinohippus (extinct early equid) 232

dinosaurs 117, 188, 229

Dioscorides, Pedanius 119

Dja’de-el-Mughara, Iraq, archaeological site 99

DNA research 5, 50–51

of apples 277–80, 329

of cattle 100, 101, 105, 109–110

of chickens 176, 179–80, 188–9, 190–91, 192–3, 194–5, 196

of dogs 13–14, 17, 18–24, 35, 38–9

of horses 232, 235, 251–3, 256–9

of humans 191, 286, 287–91, 297–9

of maize 126–30

of potatoes 156, 157–8

of rice 211–12, 219–21

of wheat and barley 65, 66–9

see also genetic modification

dogs (Canis familiaris) 8–46, 149, 240, 260

dating and locations of early domestication 12–24, 303, 308, 331

genetic make-up 12, 13–14, 17, 18–24, 35, 38–9

selective breeding, hybridisation and mutational variations 28–46, 303, 312, 321

dog breeds 17, 32, 38–46

basenji 17, 41

bassett hound 42

Border terrier 30

Chinese crested dog 42

Chinese Shar-Pei 19

cocker spaniel 42

corgi 42

Czech wolfdog 43–4

dachshund 42

Dalmatian 42

dingo 17, 39, 41

Finnish spitz 19

German shepherd 43, 44

Greenland sledge dog 19, 39

Irish wolfhound 41–2

Labrador 42

Mexican hairless dog 42

New Guinea singing dog 40

pug 41

Saarloos 22, 43–4

saluki 39

Siberian husky 19, 39, 44

springer spaniel 30

Dolni Vestonice, Czech Republic, archaeological site 275

‘domestication syndrome’ in humans 312–17

donkeys 232, 252, 256

Drake, Sir Francis 160

Drummond, William Henry, ‘Strathcona’s Horse’ 227

Dryas octopetala (mountain-avens) 71–2

ducks 117, 308

Dzungaria, China 254, 264

Easter Islanders 94, 191

Eden, Garden of, forbidden fruit 270

egg production 170, 171, 195–6

Egyptians, Ancient 76, 196, 222

elk and moose 78, 240

Eohippus (extinct early equid) 231

EPAS1 (gene) 297–8

Eratosthenes 114

Eriksson, Leif 121

Etruscans 105

European grey wolves see wolves

Evershed, Richard 96, 98, 310

evolutionary biology, developments in 2–4, 32–4, 51–2, 296–8

exploration, maritime 113–18, 122–6, 128–9, 158–9, 235

Fabre, Jean-Henri Casimir 47

Falconer, Hugh 282, 283

famines 162, 165–6, 329

fasting 195

feasting rituals 74, 75–6, 128, 224

Feldhofer Grotte, Germany, Neanderthal remains 281–3, 284

Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain 113, 116, 123, 124, 126

Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe 114

Fertile Crescent 55–6, 60, 64, 66–9, 76, 77, 154, 215, 223, 301, 302

fertilisers, synthetic 201–2, 319

figs 55, 271, 272

First World War 309

fishing and fish consumption 80, 95, 125, 213

flax 55, 301

flint tools see stone tools

food security 108, 163, 319–31

Forbes Quarry, Gibraltar, Neanderthal skull 281–3, 284

forbidden fruit (mythology) 270

Formby Beach, Merseyside 84–8

Forsline, Philip 266, 280

foxes, selective breeding experiment 28–30, 33–5, 312, 313–14, 321

foxtail millet 211, 213, 301

Fraley, Robert 204

François I, King of France 128

Frederick the Great, King of Prussia 162

freezing (preservation method) 154

French fries, invention of 159

Friends of the Earth (environmental organisation) 184, 322

Fuchs, Leonhart 119, 120, 128

Game of Thrones (television series) 43

Garrod, Dorothy 56

Gates Foundation 186, 324

gauchos (horsemen) 228–30

genetic drift 296

genetic modification (GM) 7, 168–9, 174–87, 199–210, 320–24, 329

of aubergines 186, 209, 210, 323

of chickens 174–5, 177–84, 186–7, 196, 324

of cotton 201, 207, 208, 209

of maize 201, 206, 207, 208, 209

of potatoes 168, 169

of rice 176, 185–6, 199–201, 206–7, 209, 210, 225, 323

of soybeans 184, 202, 203–4, 206, 208, 209, 210, 324

Genghis Khan 112

Gerard, John 121, 122, 126, 160

Gibraltar, Forbes Quarry Neanderthal skull 281–3, 284

Gilbert, Sir Humphrey 122–3, 126

Gilgal, Jordan Valley 56

global warming see climate change

Glover, Dominic 201

glyphosphate (herbicide) 202

GM see genetic modification

goats:

domestication 95, 96, 97, 99–100, 195, 220, 303, 327

milk production 97, 310

Göbekli Tepe, Turkey, archaeological site 72–6, 77

gomphotheres (extinct animals) 141

gorillas 143

gourds 213

Goyet Cave, Belgium, archaeological site 14

dog skull 14–15, 16, 17–18, 20

grafting (propagation technique) 272–4, 320–21

Graham, George Augustus 41

grapevines 55, 272, 273, 274, 278

grazing, livestock 326–7

Great American Seaway, closure of 232

Greeks, Ancient 114, 119, 192, 194, 250, 270–71, 274

Green Revolution 201, 319, 328

Greenhill, Zoe 26

Greenlandic Vikings 95

Greenpeace (environmental organisation) 200, 203–5

grey junglefowl 189, 330

grey wolves, European see wolves

grinding stones and mortars 56, 57, 214, 218, 301, 302

groundnuts 176

Gummer, John, Baron Deben 203

Hadrian’s Wall 309

Hadza people 144–7, 304

Hallan Çemi, Turkey 75

Haughey’s Fort, Ireland, archaeological site 274

Hawks, John 291

Heaney, Seamus, ‘Digging’ 139

Henry VII, King 124, 125

Henry VIII, King 126

herbals 119–21, 127–8, 160

herbicides 202

herbicide-resistance 201, 202, 204, 206

Hercynian Forest, Germany 90–91

Herodotus 105

Herring, Ronald 210

high-altitude adaptation (in humans) 297–8

high-fructose corn syrup 307

Hipparion (extinct early equid) 232

Hippidion (extinct horse genus) 232, 233, 234

Hippocratic Treatise 274

HLA genes 299

Homer, Odyssey 271

Homo antecessor 287

Homo erectus 287

Homo heidelbergensis 237, 287

Homo neanderthalensis see Neanderthals

Homo sapiens see humans

honey 145, 147

honeybees 3, 145, 303, 320

honeycreeper (bird) 186–7

horses (Equus caballus) 227–61, 269–70

classification and history of wild horses 231–41

domestication 241–50, 254–61, 268, 303, 308–9

genetic make-up 251–3, 255–60

hybridisation and breeding 251–3, 254, 258–60, 330

see also horse-riding; mare’s milk

horse species and breeds 250–55

Appaloosa 259

Caballo de Carro 258

Camargue 255

Criollo 258

Equus ferus (Tarpan) 240, 253, 255

Exmoor pony 255

Knabstrupper 259

Lusitano 248

Marismeño 258

Noriker 259

Paso Fino 258

Pottok pony 255

Przewalski’s horse 240, 252–5, 264

Yakutian 259

horse-riding 227–30, 240–43, 244, 245–8, 249, 292, 307

Hudson, Henry 126

Huguenots 161

Huldschinsky, Kurt 294

humans (Homo sapiens):

genetic make-up 286, 287–91, 297–9

interbreeding with other Homo species 283–4, 287–8, 289–91, 298–300

migrations of early humans 237, 286, 289, 291–3, 302, 305

origins and evolution 284–300, 305–317

population growth 6–7, 161, 305, 306, 313, 317, 318–19

human expressions, animals’ ability to interpret 260–61

Humboldt, Alexander 150

Huxi, China, archaeological site 214

Huxley, Sir Julian, Evolution: The Modern Synthesis 32–3

Huxley, Thomas Henry 33

Huzuq Musa, Jordan Valley, archaeological site 57

hyacinth beans 224

hyenas 31, 283

Ice Age (last glacial maximum) 13, 37, 142–3, 215, 233, 287

ending of 12, 37, 71, 72, 76, 79, 215, 233, 238, 239–40, 268, 301

Ice Age humans 12, 14, 71, 217, 268, 291, 292, 313

and cattle 83–4

and dogs 12, 13, 14, 17–18, 25, 31, 37, 308

and horses 233–4, 237–8

Inca Empire 118, 154–5, 162, 307

Industrial Revolution 162, 207, 294, 297, 318

intensification of agriculture 306, 318, 319, 326, 328

Inuits 293

Irish Potato Famine 165–6, 225, 329

Iroquois people 128

irradiation see radiation breeding

irrigation 201, 221, 222

ivory:

carving 313

trade 95

Jaktorów game preserve, Poland 108

James I, King 122

Jamestown, Virginia 122

Janzen, Henry 327

Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, human fossils 286

Jerf el Ahmar, Syria 73

Jericho, Jordan Valley 66

jewellery 247, 248

Jola people 224

Jomon culture 216, 218

Jones, Steve 314

Julius Caesar, Gallic Wars 90–91, 104, 194

junglefowl 188–9, 195–6, 240, 330

Juniper, Barrie 264, 289

Juniper, Tony 322–3

jute 213

Kalahari Bushmen 92, 293, 304

Kalamaili Nature Reserve, China 254

Karacadag Mountains, Turkey 65, 68, 289

Kenyon, Dame Kathleen 66

King, William 282–3

Kiowa tribe 92–3

Kipling, Rudyard, ‘The Cat That Walked By Himself’ 1, 8

kumis (fermented dairy product) 311

lactose tolerance 310–311

Lahuradeva, India, archaeological site 218

land speed record 84–5

language, development of 247, 250, 308, 313

L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, archaeological site 106, 121

Lascaux cave, France, paintings 237, 259

Leakey, Richard 285, 286

lentils 55, 223, 301

Leppe, Marcelo 229

Li Shen, ‘Pity the Peasants’ 197

Liao Jongpu 198, 213, 214, 226

lima beans 224

linseed 55

llamas 141

domestication 152

lobsters 48

Longsheng, China, rice fields 104, 197–8, 213–14, 215

lotuses 213

Louis XIV, King of France 161

Lysenko, Trofim 55

Macedonian Empire 222

McGee, Nancy 172

McGrew, Mike 176, 180, 186–7, 205, 324

mad cow disease (BSE) 202–3, 204, 210

Madsudpur, India, archaeological sites 219

Mahagara, India, archaeological site 219

maize (Zea mays mays) 111–38, 307

dating and locations of early domestication 129–33, 216, 302, 307

genetic make-up 126–30, 278

hybridisation, selection and genetic modifications 129, 134–8, 201, 206, 207, 208, 209

introduction to Europe 113–30, 162

maize species and varieties 120–21, 127–30, 133–8

Northern Flint 120–21, 127–8, 132

Southern Dent 129

see also teosintes

malnutrition 198–9, 210, 325

see also famines

mammoths 14, 18, 38, 238, 239, 308

mangoes 199, 211

Mapuche people 150

mare’s milk, consumption of 246, 310–311

Mari, Syria, archaeological site 273

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France 161

maritime exploration 113–18, 122–6, 128–9, 158–9, 235

Martir de Angleria, Pedro 118–19

mastodons 141, 236–7, 239

Matthiolus (herbalist) 120

Max Planck Institute, Leipzig 287

Mayer, August 282

Mayer, Jorge E. 200–201

Mayflower (ship) 122

melanin (pigment):

in dogs 35

in humans 295

Melchett, Peter Mond, 4th Baron 204, 210

Mellanby, Sir Edward 294

melons 211, 271

Mendel, Gregor 32, 51–2

Merychippus (extinct early equid) 232

methane, atmospheric levels of 318, 319

Metzger, Johann 134, 135, 136

mice 25, 35, 313

milk production and consumption 91–8, 103, 107, 246, 309–312

millet 115, 211, 213, 215, 218, 220, 223, 224, 269, 301, 302

Minoan civilisation 192, 309

minotaur (mythological creature) 104, 309

Mithraism 309

monasticism 159–60, 195, 276

Monbiot, George 326

Mongke Khan 112

Mongol Empire 112–13, 249

monocultures 165, 167, 201, 319, 325–6

Monsanto (biotechnology multinational) 184, 201–2, 203–6, 210

monsoons 302

Monte Verde, Chile, archaeological site 140–43, 150, 151, 292

moose and elk 78, 240

morality, and natural selection 316, 317

mortars and grinding stones 56, 57, 214, 218, 301, 302

mouflon (wild sheep) 100

mountain-avens (plant) 71–2

Muscovy ducks 117

musk oxen 38, 234

mutagenic plants 175–6

Myceneans 192, 250

mythology 73–4, 104, 130, 270–71, 308

Native Americans 117–18, 122, 293

hunting and food production 92–3, 126, 128, 224

trading 77

Natufian culture 56–8, 70, 140, 301

natural selection, theory of 2–4, 32–4, 36, 52, 302–3, 316, 317, 321–2

Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis):

diet 94

extinction 37, 287

first identified 281–3

interbreeding with modern humans 283–4, 287–8, 289–90, 298–300, 313

Neolithic Revolution 1, 6, 24, 55, 58, 64, 65–6, 192, 300–307, 317–18

neoteny 315

NERICA (New Rice for Africa project) 225–6

Neruda, Pablo, ‘Ode to Maize’ 111

Nevali Cori, Turkey 73

Newgrange, Ireland, archaeological site 22

dog remains 22–3

Norsemen see Vikings

nut sedge, purple 94

nutmeg 113, 223

oats 53, 54, 56, 176, 215, 301

Older Dryas (climatic event) 72

olives 271, 272, 278

Omo-Kibish, Ethiopia, human skull 285–6

organic farming 6, 328

‘Out of Africa’ theory 284–6, 288–9

Oviedo, Gonzalo Fernandez de 102

Owen, Sir Richard 236

Paarlberg, Robert 210

Pacific Island migrations 189–92

paddy fields 104, 197–8, 213–14, 215, 221–2

paganism 263

Pakefield, Suffolk, archaeological site 233

‘palaeo’ diets 312

palm-oil 325–6

Panama, Isthmus of, creation 232

Pangaea (supercontinent) 116

papaya 199, 208

Paris (mythological figure) 271

Parmentier, Antoine-Augustin 161–2

pea plants 51–2, 55, 223, 301

peaches 219, 274

pearl millet 220, 224, 302

pears 271, 272

Pech Merle cave, France, paintings 237–8, 259

Penn, William 160

Persian Empire 222, 274

pesticides 169, 201–2, 319

phenotypic plasticity 135–8

Phoenicians 192

photosynthesis 66–7, 148

pigeon peas 224

pigs 160, 330

domestication 102, 195, 331

see also boar, wild

pineapples 116–17

Piño, Mario 140, 141

Piperno, Dolores 136

pleiotropy, genetic 36–7

Pliny 119, 120

Pliohippus (extinct early equid) 232

ploughing 104, 107, 198, 309

plums 272

Pocahontas 122

Poets, Ana 67

Poliakov, I.S. 253

Pollan, Michael 167, 304

pollination 3, 271, 275, 278, 320

polyploid organisms 62–3

pomegranates 270, 271, 272

potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) 139–69

dating and locations of early domestication 152–5

genetic make-up 152, 156, 157–8, 163–4

hybridisation, selection and genetic modifications 152–4, 156–8, 162–3, 167–9

introduction to Europe 155–63

propagation and farming 163–9

potato species and varieties 150–53, 155–6, 162–3, 167–9

Eldorado 163

Lumper 165–6, 225

New Leaf 168, 169

Potato Famine, Irish 165–6, 225, 329

Potosi, Bolivia 155, 162

Potrykus, Ingo 206

pottery 23, 75, 80–81, 96–8, 190, 194, 214, 216–18, 246

Předmostí, Czech Republic, archaeological site 38

Przewalksi, Nikolai 253

pumpkins 117

Puritan settlers 122

purple nut sedge 94

quagga (extinct zebra) 251

radiation breeding 175–6, 207, 322

radiocarbon dating 70, 148

Raleigh, Sir Walter 121, 122, 160

Razboinichya Cave, Siberia, archaeoligical site 15

dog skull 15–16, 17–18, 20

red deer 88, 244

red junglefowl 188–9, 195–6, 240, 330

reindeer 38

herding 101

hunting 9, 92, 234

religion 74–5, 104, 130, 154, 161, 195, 309

see also Bible; mythology; paganism

rhinoceros 18, 231

rhubarb 264

rice (Oryza sativa) 197–226

dating and locations of early cultivation and domestication 210–24, 301

genetic make-up 211–12, 219–21

hybridisation, mutations and genetic modification 176, 185–6, 199–201, 206–7, 212, 219–21, 225–6, 323

rice species and varieties 198, 206, 210–213, 219–21

Golden Rice 185–6, 199–201, 206–7, 209, 210, 225, 323

Oryza barthii 220

Oryza glaberrima 210, 220, 224, 225

Oryza rufipogon 211

Oryza sativa indica 206, 211–12, 219, 221, 222, 288

Oryza sativa japonica 206, 211–12, 219, 221, 222, 288

rickets 294, 295, 297

Roberts, Gordon 85–8

Rockefeller, Nelson 173

rocket (plant) 55

Roman Empire 77, 90–91, 104, 193–4, 274, 275, 276, 311

Rosa rugosa (rose species) 272

Roslin Institute, Edinburgh 169, 174–87, 323, 324

Roundup (herbicide) 202

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques 316

Ruddock, Alwyn 125

Ruel, Jean 320–21

rutabaga 162

Rutherford, Adam 291

rye 54, 56, 70, 215, 301

saffron 223

Saint-Hilaire, Auguste de 134

Saint-Romain-en-Gal, France, archaeological site 274

Sang, Helen 176, 182–6

Schaafhausen, Hermann 282

Scheiderman, Howard 201

Scheria (mythical island) 271

Schmidt, Klaus 72–6

Scythians 258

seal hunting 95

seaweed 141

Second World War 162, 171

sedges 60, 94, 148

Segrave, Sir Henry 84–5

Self, Will, The Book of Dave 175

serotonin (neurotransmitter) 34

Seven Years’ War 161

Seville, Spain, Hospital de la Sangre 159–60

Sforza, Ascanio 118–19

Shangshan, China, archaeological site 214, 217–18

Shapiro, Robert B. 203–4, 205

sheep 117, 244, 310

domestication 80, 95, 96, 97, 99–100, 220, 303

grazing 327

herding 247

sickles (tools) 57, 59–60, 301

Sievers, Johann 264–5

Silberbauer, George 92

Silk Road 113, 129, 261, 269, 278, 299

silver foxes, selective breeding experiment 28–30, 33–5, 312, 313–14, 321

silver-mining 155, 162

Sima Qian 222

Sinohippus (extinct early equid) 232

skin colour 295–7, 316

skull shape:

of dogs and wolves 14–18, 20

of humans 285, 314

of Neanderthals 281–2

slavery 155, 224

smallpox 117

Smith, John (explorer) 122, 126

sorghum (broomcorn) 115, 128, 220, 224, 301, 302

Southport Beach, Merseyside 84

soybeans 223, 301

genetically modified 184, 202, 203–4, 206, 208, 209, 210, 324

spice trade 113, 223

Star Carr, Yorkshire, archaeological site 80, 89, 142, 291

starch, digestion of 22, 38, 149

stone carvings 73–5, 309

stone tools 48–9, 57, 59–60, 77–8, 89, 132, 140, 142, 149, 218, 219, 234, 268, 301

Stoneking, Mark 286

string beans 224

Stringer, Chris 284–6

sugar, in human diets 94, 147, 223, 307, 319

sugar cane 117, 302

Sumerian civilisation 247, 273, 307

superstitions, about potatoes 160–61

Svaerdborg, Denmark, archaeological site 38

sweet potatoes 94, 159

Syngenta (biotechnology company) 206

syphilis 117

Tacitus 274

tail-wagging 30, 31, 32, 34, 46

Taimyr Peninsula, Russia, archaeological site 18

wolf rib 18–19, 20

tapirs 231

tappuah (forbidden fruit) 270

taro 213

Tasmania 276, 313

Taurus Mountains, Turkey 66

taxonomy 5, 45, 53, 251

tea 211

teeth:

dental analysis and research 93–5, 143–4, 147, 235–6, 245–6

tooth decay in humans 94, 307

Tell Qaramel, Syria 73, 77

teosintes (wild grain plants) 130–33, 134, 136–8, 278, 302

testosterone production 314

Thomas, Lowell 171

Thoreau, Henry David 271

Tian Shan Mountains, Central Asia 264–9, 277, 330

Tibetan wolves 22

tobacco 117

tomatoes 117

tools see digging sticks; sickles; stone tools

Toscanelli, Paolo 113, 114

trade networks:

prehistoric 68–9, 77–8, 80, 219, 275

Classical antiquity 77, 105, 192, 274

Middle Ages 105, 112–13

Vikings 95

Mongol Empire 112–13

15th–16th centuries 113, 116–17

see also Silk Road

turkeys 117, 120

turnips 160, 162

Ur, Mesopotamia, archaeological site 275

urbanisation 118, 162, 195, 294, 317

Valdivia, Chile 276

Vancouver, George 126

Vantress, Charles and Kenneth 172, 173

Varro, Marcus Terentius 311

Vavilov, Nikolai 5, 51–5, 62, 64, 65, 69, 265–6, 281, 302, 330

Vedbæk, Denmark, Mesolithic cemetery 78

vegetarianism 173, 326

Verrazano, Giovanni 128

Vespucci, Amerigo 124

vetches 55, 223, 301

Vikings 95, 106, 121–2, 194

vines see grapevines

violence and aggression:

in humans 312–15, 317

in other species 316

viral vectors, use of 177, 181, 184

vitamin A deficiency 186, 198–9, 210

vitamin D 294–7

deficiency 294, 295, 296, 297

and skin colour hypothesis 295–7

wagons and chariots 248–9, 258–9, 309

Walker, Will 26–7, 30, 43

Wally’s Beach, Canada, archaeological site 233–4, 245

wars and warfare 312

horses and 248, 259, 309

potatoes and 161, 162

wassailing 262–4

water chestnuts 213

weedkillers see herbicides

wet-field rice farming see paddy fields

wheat (Triticum) 47–81

dating and locations of early cultivation 53–60, 64–81, 215, 216, 223, 269, 289, 301

genetic make-up 51, 62–3, 65, 67–8, 69

selection, hybridisation and mutations 58–64, 65–6, 69

wheat species and varieties 53–4

common/bread 53, 62–3, 75

durum 62

einkorn 51, 53–4, 55–6, 59, 62, 65–6, 68, 70, 75, 77, 80–81, 132, 223, 289, 301

emmer 53–4, 55–6, 59, 62–3, 65, 67, 80, 223, 289, 301

wheeled vehicles, development of 248–9, 309

wildernesses, protection of 325–30

Wilson, Allan 286

Windhaus, Adolf 294

wolves:

behaviour and diet 10–11, 27–8, 29–31, 38, 45

and genetic make-up of domestic dogs 12, 13–14, 17, 18–24, 36–7, 46

human contact with 10–12, 25–8, 29–32, 37, 45, 239–40, 308, 317

wolf-dog hybrids 22, 43–4

Xianrendong Cave, China, archaeological site 217–18

Xihuatoxtla Shelter, Mexico, archaeological site 132–3, 136

yaks 101

Yamnaya people 23, 248–50, 269, 292

yams 213, 220

Younger Dryas (climatic event) 71–2, 76, 79, 215–16, 238, 301–2

Zagros Mountains, Iran 66, 67

zebras 232–3, 236, 251, 252, 317