Animal domestication Flashcards
How long have homo sapiens existed?
aprrox. 200,000 yrs
Where did homo sapiens originate?
Africa, before spreading to Eurasia
when was the Pleistocene Epoch?
2.6 million yrs ago- 12,000 yrs ago
What occured during the Pleistocene Epoch?
periodic glaciations and periodic interglacials
When did the Ice Age end?
approx 12,000 yrs ago
What did the end of the Ice Age trigger?
The Neolithic transition: hunter-gathering to farming
when was the Holocene period?
the last 11,000 years
What developments occured during the Holocene period?
plant and animal agriculture, birth of civilisation and written communication ect.
Climate variability during the last 800,000 yrs
oscillated dramatically with glacial and interglacial phases.
What does genomic sequencing show in terms of the anatomical evolution of homo sapiens?
human populations outside the sub-Saharan Africa have 2-4% Neanderthal genomic admixture.
Where did the origins of animal domestication occur?
The Fertile Crescent
What civilisations emerged after the development of plant & animal agriculture?
Four major Afro-Eurasia River-Valley Civilisations
Artificial selection in the dog: the Latin transition
From Canis lupus (wolf) to Canis lupus familiaris (dog)
The shift to food production in relation to biomass use
Selection and amplification of few edible plant/animal species constitute 90% rather than 0.1% biomass.
explain the enzyme phenomenon of human feed evolution
lactase enzyme persistence into adulthood across the globe provides the ability to metabolise lactose in milk
Who were the first lactose-tolerant humans?
The Linear Pottery Culture people (Serbia & Hungary)
Wild ancestor of Cattle
Aurochs
Wild ancestor of Sheep
The Asiatic mouflon sheep
The wild ancestor of Goat
bezoar goat of West Asia
The wild ancestor of pig?
The Wild Boar
What discovery uncovered the evolution of cattle?
Aurochs humerus bone
Who created the Aurochs breeding programme in the 1920s
Heinz and Lutz Heck
What was the main biological consequence of domestication?
Many species become smaller after domestication.
Change in size of domesticate bones is observed at archaeological sites
over time.
Genetic consequences of domestication
Domestic populations generally display less genetic variation than wild species.
When were the beginnings of an agricultural society?
10,000 tears Before Present
Where is the earliest settled agricultural community?
in present day Anatolia (Turkey); Çatal Höyük
Spread of cattle-orientated agricultural societies
the Minoan Civilisation (5,000 BP to 3500 BP)
What was “The domestic silver fox project in Russia”?
In 1959, Dmitry K. Balyaev wanted to prove that domestication solely relies on the breeding of a single trait: the likeness to humans
Explain the Domestication Syndrome
Darwin coined this when domesticated mammals exhibit an unusual suite of heritable traits not observed in their wild progenitors
Examples of Domesticated traits
More frequent and non-seasonal oestrus cycles
Alterations in adrenocorticotropic (stress) hormone and neuro transmitter levels
Reduction in brain size and particular regions
what is a major domestication syndrome developed trait?
The neural crest, giving rise to a large range of cell types
name of neural-crest derived cells
melanocytes
Phenotype associated with melanocytes
Piebald coat colour or “Star” in foxes
