The Effects of Domestication on Animal Behavior

Apart from natural selection, what is another factor involved in diversity of animals?

Domestication

What is domestication?

The process of selectively breeding animals to achieve an outcome that benefits humans in some way

What was the first animal to be domesticated?

Dogs

How long ago were dogs domesticated?

16000 years ago

Early dogs were attracted to what?

Large piles of scraps and waste left by groups of humans

Which dogs benefited from humans?

Dogs showing less of a fear response to humans

What type of dogs had a higher fitness as a result of humans?

Bolder but passive dogs

What mutually beneficial arrangement was created between dogs and humans?

Dogs would become alert to danger sooner than humans, helping protect them in exchange for food and protection from humans

True or False, domestication changes DNA

True

Why is the exact methods of domestication unkown?

There was no written language to record information

Rather than a black and white dichotomy between domesticated and wild, what is domestication best though of as?

A spectrum

What animals are adapted to living in human care but able to care for themselves in the wild?

Rats and pigs

Which animals are a sourve of food in some countries but pets in others?

Guinea pigs and geese

How does domestication change animal behavior?

It makes animals less fearful of humans and more dependent on them

What is neoteny

Behaviors and appearance of domesticated animals that retain the traits of juveniles

What is an example of neoteny in domesticated dogs?

Shorter muzzles, rounder heads, and floppy ears

The neoteny in domesticated dogs is most common to what?

Young wolves

How do domestic dogs compare to adult wolves?

They are much more likely to engage in play behavior and are more dependent on humans

As humans provide food, space, and mating opportunities what is there less selective pressure for?

Animals retaining traits like territorial aggression and complex foraging strategies

How does neoteny change animals breeding cycles?

It allows them to reach sexual maturity without having reached adulthood

How has neoteny affected the brain?

The size of the brain in domestic species is different when compared to their wild counterparts

What animals have a much smaller brain than their wild ancestors?

Cattle, sheep, dogs, and cats

Why do cattle, sheep, dogs, and cats have much smaller brains than their wild counterparts?

Because they were bred to have specific traits seen in young animals

Which insect has been domesticated and retained neotenous traits?

Silkworms

How have silkworms been bred?

To produce large amounts of silk when they make their cocoons to turn into moths

What is the effect of the breeding of silkworms to produce more silk?

They have lost the ability to fly in their adult form

Are individuals domesticated?

No, individuals are tamed

Are species tamed?

No, species are domesticated

What characteristics make animals easier to domesticate?

1. They must be able to be fed easily

2. They mature rapidly

3. They breed in captivity

4. They have a docile nature

5. They are not extremely skittish

6. They conform to a social hierarchy

How does taming differ from domestication?

It can occur within one individual

True or False, tamed animals experience changes in genetics over time

False

While animals that are tame tolerate captivity and humans what do they maintain?

Their ability to survive in the wild

Why are many zoo animals considered tame?

They can be easily fed in captivity and mature quickly but they have difficulty breeding in an enclosure

Why do some zoo animals find it hard to breed in captivity?

Some animals need specific experiences or environmental cues that cannot be replicated in a captive environment

How can animals become dependent on humans but still be considered wild animals that are tamed?

By learning to perform certain behaviors rather than solely rely on innate behaviors

What is an example of an animal that can be tamed but not domesticated?

Asian elephants

How are Asian elephants trained?

To be submissive to humans

What are Asian elephants used for?

Logging, interaction with tourists, and warfare

What is the difference between African elephants and Asian elephants?

Asian elephants are more social

Why can Asian elephants not be domesticated?

They do not breed in captivity meaning new animals from the wild need to be trained and tamed

When kept in captivity what happens to Asian elephants?

They experience a wide variety of problems such as repetitive behaviors and other stress behaviors

What is the significant difference between horses and zebras in the context of domestication?

Behavior

Why are Zebras not domesticated?

They are skittish and have strong stress responses. They are more aggressive

Why are Zebras more aggressive than horses?

They live in environments where they are the primary food source for multiple predators

Why are horses easier to domesticate than Zebras?

Horses have a strict hierarchical structure where the dominant male oversees a herd

Rather than adhering to hierarchies what do Zebras do?

Stick in larger groups

In the cases that zebras have been tamed, why cant they be domesticated?

They do not breed in captivity