Domesticated plants and animals of Austronesia
Ancient expansion of agriculture / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
One of the major human migration events was the maritime settlement of the islands of the Indo-Pacific by the Austronesian peoples, believed to have started from at least 5,500 to 4,000 BP (3500 to 2000 BCE). These migrations were accompanied by a set of domesticated, semi-domesticated, and commensal plants and animals transported via outrigger ships and catamarans that enabled early Austronesians to thrive in the islands of Maritime Southeast Asia (also known as 'Island Southeast Asia'. e.g.: Philippines, Indonesia), Near Oceania (Melanesia), Remote Oceania (Micronesia and Polynesia), Madagascar, and the Comoros Islands.[2][3]
They include crops and animals believed to have originated from the Hemudu and Majiabang cultures in the hypothetical pre-Austronesian homelands in mainland China,[4] as well as other plants and animals believed to have been first domesticated from within Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, and New Guinea.[5][6] Some of these plants are sometimes also known as "canoe plants", especially in the context of the Polynesian migrations.[7][8][9] Domesticated animals and plants introduced during historic times are not included.