The New World Never Existed...

[Sharwood]

Some of the ancestors of modern horses did, before migrating to Eurasia and Africa and becoming the species we know today.

After this, the Old World horses died out, leaving only the New World variety. Bet the Native Americans were pretty pissed about that when the Spaniards showed up.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

(Of course, an earth missing so much of the land mass it actually has would have developed so radically differently that I really don't think we can say that humans at all would have existed.)

Yep. Just think of the different climate and local weather patterns that would have developed due to different ocean currents and the absence of the Rocky Mountains. How different would the atmosphere be without the Amazon rainforest?

Mind you... the meteor that killed the dinosaurs landed in the Yucatan. I wonder how much damage the meteor would have done if there hadn't been a landmass anywhere near there?

 

[Dachs]

Mind you... the meteor that killed the dinosaurs landed in the Yucatan. I wonder how much damage the meteor would have done if there hadn't been a landmass anywhere near there?

Actually, the Chicxulub crater is currently about half in, half out of the ocean, and was probably entirely inundated 65 mya. Hitting in the ocean kicked off tsunamis (which was one of the main engines of destruction), and the specific location (IIRC there was a lot of gypsum right there) kicked up a sulfur dioxide aerosol that did a good job of blocking out the Sun and initiating acid rain.

 

[warpus]

Yep. Just think of the different climate and local weather patterns that would have developed due to different ocean currents and the absence of the Rocky Mountains.

Actually, that is a very good point. Without the Americas, the gulf stream wouldn't exist, and Europe would be much much colder.

... if my understanding of ocean currents is up to date.

 

[Disenfrancised]

how would world history have changed?

In every possible way.

For starters a far bigger pacific ocean > much more powerful wind and water systems > probably a different climate in Africa > humanity never evolves .

Seriously this is to big a question to have meaningful discussions about, not least because north and south America used to be stuck to other continents. Are you asking if these continents never formed, puffed out of existence in 1491, what?

 

[mitsho]

Leaving aside the geographical and other "what would be different in our world if not". I think the "human"-level is rather more interesting. But I do not have time to think seriously about it

 

[warpus]

How could we have missed the obvious?

Columbus would have sailed to India and called them Americans.

 

[obliterate]

Horses evolved in the New World.

(Of course, an earth missing so much of the land mass it actually has would have developed so radically differently that I really don't think we can say that humans at all would have existed.)

How come there were no horses in the New World at all?

 

[Sharwood]

How come there were no horses in the New World at all?

I mentioned this at the top of the page. They died out there very early. I'm not even sure if they made it past the last Ice Age, but they certainly didn't survive past neolithic times. Part of the reason we're sure the Native Americans reached America during the last Ice Age is that we've found campsites with horse bones.

 

[Colonel]

It would suck for a multitude of reasons. First off I would be out of a job and I hate looking for new jobs. No rock'n'roll, no civ, no superpower, lack of advanced technology. I would be freezing. Most likely a good majority of us would starve to death in Europe, imagine another couple plagues and wars to wipe 90 percent of us out.

 

[Ninja Dude]

I'm guessing that the world wouldn't be anything like it is today. If that much land wasn't around then it would drastically affect the development of pretty much every single thing on Earth.

However, asuming that everything develops normally with the exeption of the New World not existing, I'm thinking Colombus is going to have a long trip ahead of him.

 

[mitsho]

I think the (most interesting) scenario is:

Ia The new World doesn't exist.
Ib The area that would now be water doesn't exist either. The Earth has shrunk so to say:
II But everything does develop as normal. Meaning, it is the world we know.

mik

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, everyone would have less weight.

 

[holy king]

would it be warmer or colder?

 

[mitsho]

Well, everyone would have less weight.

Hrmpf! I think (or I would want to go) after sociological, human changes. Not after technical issues like that...! The question is what would happen to Europe if it couldn't expand into "barren land" in the Americas!

m

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

You asked what if there was no land there and the earth had shrunk. Well, that would be the result.

There is no real way to answer this is my point. If somehow the landmass disappeared shortly before being settled by humans, then we could compare it to actual history. otherwise it would be so radically different that it wouldn't compare.

 

[mitsho]

But I do not want to find anything out on actual history. I would be interested in wether the societies of the Old World would evolve differently if they did not have room to expand into. Obviously they would. Where would the Puritans of England go? Would the Europeans become more violent (probably) and expand into the Old World? Or would the pace of technology fasten up to nourish the population? I know these can be answered from different experiences, but this is probably the most interesting scenario!

Get out of natural science and into Humanities Please!

 

[TheLastOne36]

i wondered how oceania would be effected.

Australia would likely be fought over by various european countries, and the polynesians would've had european contact much earlier.

 

[Sharwood]

i wondered how oceania would be effected.

Australia would likely be fought over by various european countries, and the polynesians would've had european contact much earlier.

Polynesians would likely have found Europe, and likely intermingled with the Europeans.

 

[obliterate]

I mentioned this at the top of the page. They died out there very early. I'm not even sure if they made it past the last Ice Age, but they certainly didn't survive past neolithic times. Part of the reason we're sure the Native Americans reached America during the last Ice Age is that we've found campsites with horse bones.

Yeah, I posted a reply to this before I read the rest of the thread. I will admit my ignorance.

On-topic: I think Europe would be far more feudal than it is today?. Because the New World was the major thing that broke that system up.