Final answer:
Animal domestication varied greatly between the Old and New World, with the Old World having a larger variety of domesticated animals like sheep, horses, and cows. The New World primarily domesticated crops and had fewer animals like llamas for domestication. The Columbian Exchange brought many Old World animals to the Americas, deeply affecting the lifestyles and ecosystems in both worlds.
Step-by-step explanation:
Contrast in Animal Domestication between the Old and New Worlds
The domestication of animals reveals a stark contrast between the Old World and the New World. In the Old World, consisting of Asia and Europe, a wide variety of animals were domesticated over thousands of years, including sheep, goats, chickens, horses, and cattle. This domestication played a major role in the development of agricultural societies, allowing for more stable food sources and the evolution of societal roles.
In the New World, the Americas did not have the same variety of domesticable animals. Native Americans domesticated fewer animals, such as llamas in South America; however, they did cultivate high-impact crops like corn, potatoes, and cassava. When Europeans arrived, they brought Old World animals such as pigs, horses, cows, and chickens, which transformed indigenous ways of life and led to significant ecological changes. This transfer of animals (and plants) between the continents is known as the Columbian Exchange.
This exchange greatly impacted both worlds; it led to changes in diet, agriculture, and even industry, causing a complex interplay of ecological and social transformations. The introduction of new animals and plants was instrumental in shaping the history and environment of both the Old and New Worlds.