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How long have dogs been domesticated?
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Are domestic animals tolerant of humans?
Apr 24, 2018 · Animal Emotions. How We Domesticated Dogs and They Domesticated Us. Laura Hobgood's book "A Dog's History of the World" is a remarkable read. Posted April 24, 2018. Laura Hobgood reveals how...
- Labrador Retriever. Labrador retrievers have been known as the most popular dog for decades, and for good reason! "Labs make amazing family dogs. They are typically very friendly, happy, go with the flow dogs, and typically love all people," Robinson says.
- Miniature Schnauzer. The miniature schnauzer is bound to be your bearded bestie. Mini schnauzers are super affectionate and great with families and children, Robinson says.
- Newfoundland. Who can resist this cute bear face? Robinson describes the Newfoundland as a "calm, gentle giant" who does not require much to be happy. The Newfoundland is a laid back breed who is extremely easygoing and loyal to her family.
- Maltese. The Maltese is a darling breed devoted to her family. Smart and sweet, Maltese can spend time alone—although, they'd rather be in your arms! Robinson says they're "best with families who are home most of the day as they like a lot of attention."
- Overview
- The domestication process
- Domestic vs. tame
Domestic animals such as dogs, cats, and cattle have been genetically adapted over generations to live alongside humans.
Domesticated animals are animals that have been selectively bred and genetically adapted over generations to live alongside humans. They are genetically distinct from their wild ancestors or cousins.
Animal domestication falls into three main groupings: domestication for companionship (dogs and cats), animals farmed for food (sheep, cows, pigs, turkeys, etc.), and working or draft animals (horses, donkeys, camels).
Animals that make good candidates for domestication typically share certain traits:
Domestication happens through selective breeding. Individuals that exhibit desirable traits are selected to be bred, and these desirable traits are then passed along to future generations.
Wolves were the first animal to be domesticated, sometime between 33,000 and 11,000 years ago. After domesticated dogs came the domestication of livestock animals, which coincided with a widespread shift from foraging to farming among many cultures.
Because most major acts of domestication began before recorded history, we don’t know much about the exact process behind the generations-long journey from wild animal to domesticated pet or livestock. What is clear is that the ancestors of domesticated animals must have already exhibited traits that made them somehow useful to humans—traits that may have ranged from tasty meat to warm coats to a natural affinity for people.
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A History of Dogs 101
A 2017 study found evidence that early dog-like wolves were indeed genetically disposed to be friendly. That friendliness may have triggered the first mutually beneficial relationships between humans and dogs, in which people gave dogs food or shelter in exchange for the animals’ service as guards or hunting companions. Other genetic evidence has been discovered to support a similar “self-domestication” theory for cats.
Domestication is not the same as taming. A domestic animal is genetically determined to be tolerant of humans. An individual wild animal, or wild animal born in captivity, may be tamed—their behavior can be conditioned so they grow accustomed to living alongside humans—but they are not truly domesticated and remain genetically wild.
Captive Asian elephants, for example, are often misinterpreted as domesticated, because they have been kept by humans for thousands of years. However, the majority have historically been captured from the wild and tamed for use by humans. Although then can breed in captivity, like big cats and other wild animals, they are not selectively bred, largely because of their long reproductive cycle. For this reason, there are no domesticated breeds of Asian elephants: They remain wild animals.
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Jun 2, 2016 · Our ancient DNA evidence, combined with the archaeological record of early dogs, suggests that we need to reconsider the number of times dogs were domesticated independently. Maybe the reason there hasn’t yet been a consensus about where dogs were domesticated is because everyone has been a little bit right.’.
