Domestication

DOG DOMESTICATION

  • Humans have changed the following aspects of dogs through domestication:
      - Form
      - Size
      - Personality
      - Lifestyle
      - Instinct
      - Entire way of being

CAT DOMESTICATION

  • The domestication of cats can be characterized by:
      - Movement into human living spaces

ORIGINS OF AGRICULTURE

  • Key Cultivated Crops:
      - Squash
      - Maize
      - Beans

  • Geographic Locations and Timeframes:
      - Eastern USA: 4000-3000 BP
      - Central Mexico: 5000-4000 BP
      - Northern South America: 5000-4000 BP
      - Sub-Saharan Africa: 5000-4000 BP
      - Amazonia: 5000-4000 BP
      - Fertile Crescent:
        - Crops: Cereals, Pulses
        - Timeline: 11,000 BP
      - Yangzi and Yellow River Basins: 9000 BP
      - New Guinea Highlands: 9000-6000 BP

THE FERTILE CRESCENT

  • Ecological Characteristics:
      - Warm, dry summers
      - Rainy winters
      - Facilitates the spread of wild grains
      - Ability to store seeds without spoiling
      - High ecological diversity

ANIMAL DOMESTICATION

  • Definition:
      - Genetic changes that make animals favorable to human interaction

  • Important Distinctions:
      - Different from:
        - Taming
        - Training
        - Captive breeding

MAJOR CENTRES OF LIVESTOCK DOMESTICATION

  • Based on archaeological and molecular genetic information, the following animals were domesticated in significant centres:
      - (1) Turkey
      - (2) Guinea pig, llama, alpaca
      - (3) Pig, rabbit
      - (4) Cattle, donkey
      - (5) Cattle, pig, goat, sheep, Bactrian camel
      - (6) Cattle, goat, chicken, river buffalo
      - (7) Horse
      - (8) Yak
      - (9) Pig, swamp buffalo, chicken
      - (10) Chicken, pig, Bali cattle
      - (11) Dromedary
      - (12) Reindeer

TIMELINE OF DOMESTICATION

  • Overview of domestication periods across various animals:
      - Sheeps and Cows: 15,000 years ago
      - Dog, Llama, Dromedary Donkey, Yak, Goat, Pig, Cat, Chicken, Alpaca, Horse, Water Buffalo, Bactrian Camel, Turkey: Timelines range from 10,000 to 5,000 years ago to present

DOMESTICATION PATHWAYS

  • Types of pathways described:
      - Commensal Pathway:
        - Involves mutual benefits, such as pest control and protection.
        - Example animals: Dogs and cats.
      - Sought for Food and Fiber Pathway:
        - Includes domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep, llamas, turkeys.
      - Sought for Work Pathway:
        - Involves animals used for labor like horses and camels.

STAGES OF DOMESTICATION

  • Four key stages identified in animal domestication:
      - 1. Initial association with free breeding
      - 2. Confinement
      - 3. Confinement with captive breeding
      - 4. Selective breeding and improvement

DEGREE OF DOMESTICATION

  • Definitions of domestication levels based on human interaction:
      - Wild: Animals that complete their life-cycle without human intervention.
      - Raised in captivity: Animals raised under some human control that remain mostly identical to their wild counterparts.
      - Raised commercially: Animals ranched or farmed in large numbers under minimal artificial selection.
      - Domesticated: Animals bred and raised under human control, distinct from wild ancestors; their wild ancestors may be endangered or extinct.

FARMED FOX EXPERIMENT

  • Focus: Silver foxes selected solely for temperament.
      - Tamest foxes bred for the next generation.
      - Scoring scale for tameness from 1 (wild) to 4 (tame).
      - Results:
        - 10th generation: 18% scored 4.
        - 35th generation: 80% scored 4.
        - Behavioral characteristics: behaved similarly to domestic dogs.

BEHAVIORAL CHANGES IN FARMED FOXES

  • 1960s to 1975 Observations:
      - 2nd Generation (1962): Reduction in aggressive responses to humans.
      - 4th Generation (1964): Fox kits started to wag tails and voluntarily approach humans.
      - 6th Generation (1966): Full affinity developed; friendly kits followed humans and licked them.

MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN FARMED FOXES

  • Changes observed across generations:
      - 9th Generation (1969): Development of floppy ears, remaining so up to three months post-birth.
      - 13th Generation (1973): Introduction of coat-color variations, including piebald spots.
      - 15th Generation (1975): Appearance of curly tails, moving from an untamed to a tamed state.

THYROID HORMONE IN FARMED FOXES

  • Thyroxine Effects:
      - Thyroxine influences growth and maturation traits, controls the adrenaline response to fear.
      - Traits associated with low thyroxine levels:
        - Shorter snouts
        - Color variations (solid or patchy)
        - More frequent reproduction
        - Larger litters

REQUIREMENTS FOR DOMESTICATION

  1. Flexible Diet: Must be easily supplied by humans.

  2. Short Generation Interval: Must mature early and grow quickly.
        - Sexual maturity: 10-12 years
        - Gestation: 2 years
        - Weaning: 2-5 years
        - Calving interval: 4-5 years

  3. **Ability to Breed in Captivity.

  4. Good Temperament: Should not be aggressive or panicky.

  5. Social Hierarchy: Should belong to herd, pack, or flock animals instead of being solitary.

SPECIFIC DOMESTICATED ANIMALS

  • Dogs:
      - Ancestor: Grey wolf
      - Domestication date: 15,000 BP
      - Location: Middle East and East Asia
      - Mutual benefits derived from hunting strategies
      - Breed development likely diverse across regions and timelines
      - Approximately 400 breeds, used for hunting, herding, guarding, and companionship.

  • Cats:
      - Ancestors: African Wild Cat, Chinese Mountain Cat
      - Domestication date: 9500 BP
      - Location: Near East (Fertile Crescent)
      - "Self-domesticated" by adaption to human habitats through attraction to prey near grain stores.
      - Not a typical example of domesticated species due to being solitary carnivores.

  • Goats:
      - Ancestors: Bezoar, Markhor
      - Domestication date: 8500 – 10,000 BP
      - Location: Near & Middle East
      - Notable for two independent domestication events
      - Approximately 500 local breeds, utilized for meat, milk, fiber, and fuel.

  • Sheep:
      - Ancestors: Urial, Argali, Mouflon
      - Domestication date: 8500 – 9000 BP
      - Location: Near & Middle East
      - Involved two independent domestication events
      - Approximately 1000 local breeds, utilized for milk, meat, fiber, and fuel.

  • Pigs:
      - Ancestors: Wild Boar, Bearded Pig, Javan Warty Pig, Pigmy Hog
      - Domestication date: 9000 BP
      - Location: Europe, Near & Middle East, China, India, Southeast Asia
      - Six independent domestication events
      - Approximately 540 local breeds, primarily used for meat.

  • Cattle:
      - Ancestor: Auroch (extinct as of 1627)
      - Domestication date: 9000 BP
      - Location: Near & Middle East, Northeast Africa, Northern India
      - 3-4 domestication events
      - Approximately 900 local breeds, utilized for milk, meat, power, hide, fuel, and fertilizer.

  • Horses:
      - Ancestors: Tarpan (extinct as of 1909), Przewalskii
      - Domestication date: 3500 BP
      - Location: Eurasian steppe
      - Multiple domestication events
      - Approximately 570 local breeds, utilized for power, meat, as well as in war and sports.

  • Chickens:
      - Ancestor: Red Jungle Fowl
      - Domestication dates: 5000 and 8000 BP
      - Location: India, China, Southeast Asia
      - Two domestication events
      - Approximately 1100 local breeds, utilized for meat, eggs, feathers, and fertilizer.

  • Turkeys:
      - Ancestors: Wild Turkey, Ocellated Turkey
      - Domestication date: 1000 BP
      - Location: Central America
      - Single domestication event
      - Approximately 80 local breeds, primarily utilized for meat.
      - Unique for being the only domesticated bird from the Americas.