Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the ‘New World’ and introduced into the ‘Old World’?
Explanation
Option A is correct: Following the European voyages to the Americas (the Columbian Exchange):
– Several agricultural crops native to Central and South America (the ‘New World’) were domesticated by indigenous civilizations and later introduced into Europe, Asia, and Africa (the ‘Old World’). These include Tobacco, Cocoa, Rubber, Potato, Tomato, Maize, and Chillies.
– Cotton, Sugarcane, and Wheat have been cultivated in the Old World (including the Indian subcontinent and the Fertile Crescent) since ancient and Harappan times.
– Coffee originated in the highlands of Ethiopia (Old World).
Therefore, the group domesticated in the New World is Tobacco, cocoa and rubber — Option A.