Lecture 2 Flashcards
What is domestication?
No real definition but this is important, does not explain why some animals are domesticated and others are not.
Process where animals adapt to living with humans and in the environment humans provide for them.
These definitions only define the animal relationships, but nothing about how these animals are different than others
Domestication DOES NOT = taming
What is the first domesticated species?
Dogs – 14,000 years ago
When did domestication
of farm animals begin?
8,000 – 12,000 years ago
Has the majority of genetic selection taken place before or after domestication?
Before
What circumstances led to domestication and explain?
30,000 years ago - Environmental changes, these changes forced animals and humans into tighter spaces forcing them to live in same area.
What 4 things did humans use to control animals in the past?
1) herding
2) hobbling - tie around 2 legs
3) slaughter - get rid of animals that did not want you
4) castration - don’t breed aggressive animals
this changed the gene pool
What is evolution?
selection of variants in traits already present in the population
Behaviours we see today may be variants of what was already there
What factors were likely selected for?
Ability to control animals
◼ Herding ability
◼ Temperament – Castration
◼ Aggression – slaughter
Evolutionary history of behaviour in the last 100 years
Shift in how genetic selection takes place
◼ Particular matings - can get genetics
from anywhere
◼ Computers
◼ Artificial insemination and semen
collection - pigs and chickens is hard
to store sperm chicken cannot at all
be frozen
Change in group sizes
◼ Huge change to animal social
behaviour!
❑ Livestock - large group sized
(chicken in the past lived in flocks
of 10ish now they are in flocks
20,000- 50,000)
❑ Pets - used to live in large groups
and usually 1-2 (dogs)
What is the most important behavioural factor in domestication?
Docility
What are the classifications of Characteristics towards domestication by Hale in 1962?
Favorable vs unfavorable
1) Group structure
2) Sexual behaviour
3) Parent-young interaction
4) Response to humans
5) Others
Characteristics towards domestication favorable vs unfavorable for group structure.
Favorable:
❑ Large social groups (flocks, herds)
❑ Hierarchical group structure
❑ Males and females living together
Unfavorable:
❑ Family groupings
❑ Territorial structure
❑ Males living separate from females
Characteristics towards domestication favorable vs unfavorable for Sexual behaviour.
Favorable:
❑ Promiscuous mating
❑ Males dominate over females
❑ Sexual signals given by movements
of posture
Unfavorable:
❑ Pair bond matings
❑ Males must work to establish dominance over females
❑ Sexual signals given by color markings or other morphological structures
Characteristics towards domestication favorable vs unfavorable for Parent-young interaction.
Favorable:
❑ Imprinting during critical period
❑ Cross-fostering
❑ Precocial young (walk right away and can feed itself)
Unfavorable:
❑ Species bond established by species
characteristics
❑ Young accepted on basis of species
characteristics
❑ Altricial young
Characteristics towards domestication favorable vs unfavorable for response to humans.
Favorable:
❑ Short flight distance
❑ Humans and environmental changes
not upsetting
Unfavorable:
❑ Long flight distance (wary)
❑ Easily upset by humans or changes to their environment
Characteristics towards domestication favorable vs unfavorable for Others.
Favorable:
❑ Omnivorous
❑ Adaptable to environments
❑ Limited agility
Unfavorable:
❑ Special dietary requirements
❑ Specific habitat
❑ Extreme agility
What is the definition of “domesticated animal” using Hale’s info?
One that fits into the Favorable categories or one which genetic selection is moving towards the Favorable categories
❑ NOT a perfect system!
In artificial selection traits, what is selected for?
the traits we want in our offspring- all depends on the purpose of animals.
Is it possible that by focusing on a specific production trait, we will move animals away from domestication?
It is possible because by selecting one trait can make another trait go backward.
