New Books in Biology and Evolution Robert N. Spengler, "Nature's Greatest Success: How Plants Evolved to Exploit Humanity" (Univ of California Press, 2025)
Jul 22, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Robert N. Spengler, a leading researcher in domestication and co-evolution, uncovers the surprising history of how grass manipulated humanity into agriculture over 15,000 years. He challenges the notion that humans solely invented agriculture, revealing a complex interplay where plants and animals evolved in response to human practices. Highlights include the evolution of chickens and the intricate relationships with domesticated organisms, showcasing how mutual benefits and challenges define our connection to nature.
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Domestication Is Evolutionary Process
- Domestication is an evolutionary process with heritable traits evolving in populations over time influenced by humans.
- It often happened without human intention or awareness, challenging the idea that humans actively invented agriculture.
Cultivation vs Domestication
- Cultivation is a conscious human cultural practice, while domestication is an evolutionary response that can happen independently.
- Some plants evolve domestication traits without cultivation, like wild rice in North America.
Mutualism in Domestication
- Many organisms evolved domestication traits passively to survive near humans, ranging from pests to mutualistic species like dogs.
- Chickens evolved reproductive traits that made them globally successful, benefiting both species through mutualism.