How did the shape of the continents impact their development?
Continents that are spread out in an east-west direction, such as Eurasia, had a developmental advantage because of the ease with which crops, animals, ideas and technologies could spread between areas of similar latitude. But the influence of continental formation runs even deeper than this.
Why is latitude The important factor in the spread of domesticated plants and animals?
In these so-called temperate zones, seasonality has a major impact on which plants, animals, and even diseases can thrive. Plants and animals which thrive at a given latitude, will tend to thrive at the same latitude anywhere else on the planet – either north or south of the Equator.
How does latitude impact the spread of ideas and technologies?
The idea is that populations at comparable latitudes experience largely similar climates, making it easier to adapt crops and domesticated animals and, consequently, humans and technology to new locations east to west.
How did the shape and location of the continents influence early civilizations according to Jared Diamond?
According to Jared Diamond, what made the Europeans “accidental conquerors”? Because of their geographic location and history, the Europeans were the first to acquire guns, germs, and steel, therefore they could conquer other lesser developed civilizations.
What are 4 evidences that support the theory of Pangea?
They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence: fit of the continents, paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic features, and fossils.
Why did Pangea break up?
During the Triassic Period, the immense Pangea landmass began breaking apart as a result of continental rifting. A rift zone running the width of the supercontinent began to open up an ocean that would eventually separate the landmass into two enormous continents.
How is latitude related to climate?
Latitude or distance from the equator – Temperatures drop the further an area is from the equator due to the curvature of the earth. As a result, more energy is lost and temperatures are cooler.
How does latitude affect our lives?
Places located at high latitudes (far from the equator) receive less sunlight than places at low latitudes (close to the equator). The amount of sunlight and the amount of precipitation affects the types of plants and animals that can live in a place.
What is Jared Diamond’s argument regarding the shape of the continents?
The first and most basic cause is the shape of the continents: their “axes.” A continental landmass with an “east-west axis” supposedly is more favorable for the rise of agriculture than a continent with a “north- south axis.”[3] Diamond divides the inhabited world into three continents (he uses the word “continent” …
What was Pizarro’s secret weapon?
Why did the Spaniards pass their diseases onto the Incas, and not the other way around? Jared Diamond: This is Pizarro’s secret weapon; pigs and cows, sheep and goats, domestic animals.
Did dinosaurs live on Pangea?
Dinosaurs lived on all of the continents. At the beginning of the age of dinosaurs (during the Triassic Period, about 230 million years ago), the continents were arranged together as a single supercontinent called Pangea. During the 165 million years of dinosaur existence this supercontinent slowly broke apart.
Why was Pangea not accepted?
Despite having this geological and paleontological evidence, Wegener’s theory of continental drift was not accepted by the scientific community, because his explanation of the driving forces behind continental movement (which he said stemmed from the pulling force that created Earth’s equatorial bulge or the …
What if Pangea never broke apart?
On Pangea, we might have less diversity of species. The species at the top of the food chain today would most likely remain there, but some of today’s animals would not exist in Pangea. They wouldn’t have a chance to evolve. Fewer animals might make it easier to travel.
Why is latitude important for determining climate?
Many factors influence the climate of a region. The most important factor is latitude because different latitudes receive different amounts of solar radiation. Sunlight filters through a thick wedge of atmosphere, making the sunlight much less intense. …
Why is latitude important to climate?
The most important factor is latitude because different latitudes receive different amounts of solar radiation. The maximum annual temperature of the Earth, showing a roughly gradual temperature gradient from the low to the high latitudes. The Equator receives the most solar radiation.
How does longitude and latitude affect climate?
The most common way to locate points on the surface of the Earth is by using lines on a map or globe called lines of latitude and longitude. Latitude describes the location of a place north or south of the equator. Latitude has a big effect on climate because latitude controls how much solar energy a location receives.
What is Diamond’s argument?
Diamond’s overall argument in this book is that some societies come to dominate others because of geographical luck. The book is meant as an answer to Yali’s question. It is meant to explain why some societies became powerful and others did not.
How did the continents fit together?
The continents fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Alfred Wegener proposed that the continents were once united into a single supercontinent named Pangaea, meaning all earth in ancient Greek. He suggested that Pangaea broke up long ago and that the continents then moved to their current positions.
What is the main idea of Guns Germs and Steel?
In Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond outlines the theory of geographic determinism, the idea that the differences between societies and societal development arise primarily from geographical causes. The book is framed as a response to a question that Diamond heard from Yali, a charismatic New Guinean politician.
What is the significance of the shape of the continents Jared Diamond?
What is Jared Diamond’s thesis in the worst mistake?
The thesis of Diamond’s book states that the invention of agriculture is what allowed Europeans to conquer other colonies worldwide. Though I would recommend that you all read “Guns, Germs, and Steel”, the book is very long and we all have a lot of school work to do!
Why do plants and animals thrive at different latitudes?
Plants and animals which thrive at a given latitude, will tend to thrive at the same latitude anywhere else on the planet – either north or south of the Equator. So, if there is an easy east/west overland migration route for those crops or animals, they will tend to successfully export themselves beyond their point of origin.
How did plant and animal communities change over time?
Plant and animal communities shifted to lower latitudes along the periphery of ice sheets. Additionally, some new land was opened during glacials. Evaporation with little runoff reduced sea levels by as much as almost 150 meters, shifting coastlines outward by in some instances as much as almost 100 kilometers.
How does climate, temperature and habitat depend on latitude?
Climate, temperature, seasons, and habitat all depend strongly on latitude. Above 85 degrees north, you don’t have tropical rainforest, you have Arctic ice fields. Certainly plants and animals tend to be adapted to particular habitats and climates.
Why did horsemen move to the southern grasslands?
Since bypassing the Caucasus was easy for horsemen, movement from the northern to the southern grasslands occurred repeatedly.
How did North America grow as a continent?
The Atlantic Ocean opened 200 million years ago, pushing North America westward. As the continent rifted away from the supercontinent Pangaea, it finally earned the name North America. As the East Coast settled down into a passive margin, with no active tectonics, things were heating up in the West.
What makes the Great Plains important to North America?
Deep, rich soil blankets large areas of the plains in Canada and the United States. Grain grown in this region, called the “Breadbasket of North America,” feeds a large part of the world. The Great Plains are also home to rich deposits of oil and natural gas.
Which is the physical geography of North America?
North America: Physical Geography. The coral reefs and cays of the Caribbean Sea are among the most spectacular biomes in North America. A reef is a ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea. Some coral reefs surround islands, such as the Bahamas, Antigua, and Barbados.
Why did continents spread in a north-south direction?
Continents that spread out in a north-south direction, such as the Americas, had an inherent climatic disadvantage. Any crops, animals, ideas and technologies had to travel through dramatically changing climatic conditions to spread from one extreme to the other.
