Domestication

Question 1

What is domestication?

Answer 1

The act of taming an animal through generations of breeding, so that they may live in close association with humans as a pet or working animal. This usually creates a dependency, meaning the animal can no longer survive in the wild

Question 2

Why domesticate animals

Answer 2

~meat
~clothing
~companionship
~work
~other food products 
~transport
~calm temperament 
~lack of fear for humans
~ability to breed and thrive in captivity 
~resistance to disease

Question 3

When did it start?

Answer 3

Domestication began around 10,000 years ago. Animals were first domesticated for meat,milk and hides…..

Its thought that goats, sheep and chickens were among the first animals to be domesticated

Large animals including horses and oxen followed, to be used for transport

Question 4

What animals are easier to domesticate?

Answer 4

Chciken
Slightly more difficult, can be flighty around humans
Eat seeds and grain that are valuable to humans

Cows
Easily domesticated, easy to feed
Eats readily available grass, living in herds means they don’t rely on humans a great deal

Rabbits
Difficult, very flighty prey animals
Require fresh and varied diet

Question 5

Process of domestication

Answer 5

Selective breeding takes place, where humans don’t allow animals with undesirable traits to reproduce. Selective breeding eventually gets rid of undesirable traits within a population

Question 6

Undesirable traits

Answer 6

~low milk, meat and egg yield 
~short lifespan
~timidity 
~high fat to meat content 
~aggression
~low immunity 
~genetic diseases
~low production of offspring

Question 7

How to know when an animal is domesticated?

Answer 7

1. Animals kept for distinct purpose
2. Humans control the animals breeding
3. Animals survival depends on humans
4. Animals develop traits not found in wild counterparts

Question 8

Case study: Dmitry belyaev-foxes

Answer 8

~He started to breed together foxes with least excitable temperaments. He selected foxes by extending a gloved hand into the foxes cage the foxes that attacted, cowered or bit him were excluded from breeding
~thos who showed tolerance or curiosity were breeded, he was selecting the foxes for their flight distance
Doing this selective breeding changed the foxes coat colour and change their behaviour, ears become floppy and they become playful and start to bark and socialise….they not afraid of people
~adrenaline(fight or flight), melanin(skin pigment) are chemically connected as well as neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline which change behaviours and its like a domino affect