Animal Domestication and Evolution

These flashcards cover key concepts related to animal domestication, evolution, and the various values of animals.

What are the characteristics of an animal?

Multicellular, heterotrophic, eukaryotic, breathe oxygen, reproduce sexually, develop from embryonic layers.

What is Domestic Species?

Animals that have been bred and managed by humans for specific purposes.

What is Selective Breeding?

The process of choosing parents with desirable traits to breed in order to influence the characteristics of the offspring.

What is Domestication Syndrome?

A set of physical and behavioral traits that differentiate domesticated animals from their wild ancestors due to evolutionary processes influenced by human activity.

Define Speciation.

When a group within a population separates and forms its own distinct characteristics.

What is Natural Selection?

The process by which species evolve over time due to changes in their environment that favor certain traits.

What is Gene Flow?

The transfer of genetic material between populations, increasing genetic diversity.

Define Genetic Drift.

Random changes in allele frequencies within a population.

What is the significance of the domestication of dogs?

Dogs were the first animals domesticated for companionship, estimated to have occurred 13,000 to 30,000 years ago.

What is the difference between direct and indirect values of animals?

Direct values relate to ecosystem services provided to humans, while indirect values include ecological and environmental benefits.

What is an Affiliative Relationship?

A strong emotional attachment that contributes to positive physiological and psychological well-being.

Define Assisted Animal Therapy.

The use of domesticated, trained animals to assist in the therapy of humans.

What are Service Animals?

Domesticated, trained animals that perform specific tasks to assist individuals with disabilities.

What is Ecosystem Functioning?

Physicochemical and biological processes that occur to maintain life, including nutrient cycling.

What is the Intrinsic Value of species?

The inherent worth of species simply for existing, independent of their utility to humans.