1.12 - Domestication

Question 1

when did domestication of animals become an aspect of human development?

Answer 1

relatively recently

Question 2

what is domestication of animals associated with?

Answer 2

reduced nomadic life and larger groups

Question 3

three domestication pathways (3)

Answer 3

1. commensal pathway
2. prey pathway
3. directed pathway

Question 4

domestication: commensal pathway

Answer 4

individuals of species attracted to human settlements to scavenge for food or find support

Question 5

domestication: prey pathway (2)

Answer 5

1. animals first hunted then progressively managed
2. humans manipulated environments to simplify hunting, eventually lead to penned farming

Question 6

domestication: directed pathway

Answer 6

deliberate and directed process initiated by humans

Question 7

commensal pathway of domestication in dogs (3)

Answer 7

1. common ancestor
2. natural and sexual selection
3. human selection for/against sociability, cognition, aggression etc

Question 8

directed pathway of domestication in dogs (3)

Answer 8

1. present wolves (wild/captive)
2. present FRD (village dogs, feral, kept as pets)
3. improved selection for specific breed traits (breed pet dogs)

Question 9

domestication syndrome

Answer 9

domestic animals differ from their wild ancestors in physiological/morphological traits

Question 10

differing physiological/morphological traits of domesticated animals compared to wild ancestors (

Answer 10

1. reduced brain size
2. depigmentation
3. altered size/shape of ears and tails
4. altered oestrous cycles

Question 11

differing behavioural characteristics of domestic animals compared to wild ancestors (2)

Answer 11

1. less fearful of humans
2. more socially tolerant to conspecifics

Question 12

behavioural syndromes

Answer 12

sets of linked traits that some people liken to animal personality

Question 13

example of evidence for domestication syndrome

Answer 13

silver foxes bred for tameness

Question 14

silver fox behaviour changes evidence for domestication syndrome (2)

Answer 14

1. licking hands and face
2. barking and tail wagging when people came into view

Question 15

silver fox appearance changes evidence for domestication syndrome (3)

Answer 15

1. drooping ears
2. turned up tails
3. variegated coat colours

Question 16

neoteny

Answer 16

preservation of juvenile characteristics in adulthood

Question 17

domestication effect on brain size

Answer 17

consistent reduction in brain size in domesticated animals (even when you account for changes in body size)

Question 18

neural crest hypothesis for domestication syndrome

Answer 18

suggests seemingly unrelated traits that change in domestication syndrome result from changes to neural crest cells during embryonic development

Question 19

neural crest cells

Answer 19

stem cells that develop at edge of neural tube during vertebrate embryonic development and migrate throughout the body

Question 20

what do neural crest cells give rise to?

Answer 20

skull, sympathetic ganglia, adrenal edulla

Question 21

what do neural crests influence?

Answer 21

adrenal glands which have a key role in stres responses

Question 22

expensive tissue hypothesis for domestication syndrome

Answer 22

states over evolution there is a trade-off between investment in the three most important physiological tissues

Question 23

three most important physiological tissues (3)

Answer 23

1. brain and nervous system
2. digestive system
3. reproductive system

Question 24

change in diets of domesticated animals

Answer 24

often higher in starch

Question 25

result of domesticated animals having to adapt to higher starch in diet

Answer 25

increase in digestive tissue resulting in reduction of brain size

Question 26

bessa ferreira meta analysis of 88 cognitive comparisons between wild and domesticated animals result (3)

Answer 26

1. domesticated better performance 26 cases 2. wild better performance in 26 cases 3. 26 instances similar performance

Question 27

issue with studies for change in cognition of domesticated animals

Answer 27

few studies outside of dogs and wolves (no evidence for changes in cognition)

Question 28

predatory behaviours of ancestral wolf (6)

Answer 28

1. orientation posture 2. eye fixation 3. stalk 4. chase 5. grab-bite 6. kill-bite

Question 29

how have border collies adjusted predatory behaviours of ancestral wolf?

Answer 29

reduced grab-bite and kill-bite (cattle dogs less so)

Question 30

what is dog domestication proof of concept of

Answer 30

link between decreased aggression, higher sociability and enhanced social cognition

Question 31

how is dog domestication proof of concept between decreased aggression, higher sociability and enhanced social cognition? (4)

Answer 31

1. general view dogs less aggressive than wolves 2. studies show high oxytocin activation when dogs interact with humans 3. dogs understand human cooperative communication 4. higher inclination of dogs to seek help from humans

Question 32

how do wolves perform on tasks that don't involve humans?

Answer 32

12/22 studies show wolves outperform dogs in general/physical cognitive realms (6 no difference, 4 dogs outperform wolves)

Question 33

how many studies showed dogs outperform wolves in within species social cognition

Answer 33

0/9

Question 34

dogs that best represent commensal domestication

Answer 34

dogs in free-ranging populations rather than breeds subject to directed selection

Question 35

how does wolf genetic data suggest selection for shy animals

Answer 35

shows bottlenecks partly caused by human persecution

Question 36

what result in variability in wolf's behaviour/cognition? (2)

Answer 36

1. food/prey size and availability 2. human presence/attitude

Question 37

result of wolves being cursorial group hunters of ungulates

Answer 37

hunting success low and most prey can seriously injure so risk high

Question 38

social organisation in wolves

Answer 38

monogamous breeding pair accompanies by family

Question 39

what does wolf pack size have a role in? (3)

Answer 39

1. hunting success 2. territorial defence 3. litter size/pup survival (therefore wolves highly reliant on cohesive and functional pack structure)

Question 40

free-ranging dogs food acquisition

Answer 40

forage solitarily on human waste, hunting has minor role

Question 41

sociability of free-ranging dogs

Answer 41

facultatively social with group size/composition fluid

Question 42

when are pups weaned in free ranging dogs?

Answer 42

10-11 weeks, mothers no longer provide for them after 10 weeks