A Pulitzer Prize-winning author told an ISU audience Wednesday that development of diversity in today’s world is linked to agriculture, a key industry in Iowa.

About 450 people attended Jared Diamond’s presentation “Guns, Germs and Steel: How the Modern World Came to Be” at Stephens Auditorium.

Diamond said he was glad to be able to share his knowledge with Iowa State.

“It’s great to be here in the Midwest to talk about human history and why it unfolded so differently on the different continents,” he said.

Diamond outlined causes for diversity on the different continents of the world and how diversity made people who they are today. Much of the diversity in the modern world is the result of a population explosion caused by the evolution of farming, he said.

“I’ve been studying Iowa since my plane landed at 4:48 this afternoon,” Diamond said. “There’s no doubt that Iowa is the most productive place for agriculture.”

Once farming was established, people were able to dry and store some of the excess produce, which allowed others to pursue jobs away from the farm. These people were able to get jobs that benefited their communities in other ways, such as developing a writing system, inventing or learning a trade.

Diamond was lecturing on his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies.”

Diamond, professor of physiology at the UCLA College of Medicine, has studied physiology, evolutionary biology and biogeography.

He received his doctorate from the University of Cambridge in England and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.

Diamond was awarded Japan’s Cosmo Prize in 1998 and the National Medal of Science in 1999.

Most recently, Diamond won the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for his work in conceiving, testing and demonstrating theories of conservative biology.

Pat Miller, chairwoman of the lectures committee, said Diamond “writes and talks about issues in a way that is accessible.”

Laura Valenziano, sophomore in genetics and psychology, said she enjoyed the lecture.

“The thing about agriculture made a lot of sense,” she said. “Now I am going to go home and read his book.”

Robert Brown, professor of mechanical engineering, said he gave Diamond’s book to his son, who briefed him about it before the lecture.

“I thought it was fascinating to see a melding of history and anthropology,” Brown said.