Our Furry Friends: the History of Animal Domestication by JESSICA LEAR Under Mentor MARGARET HARRIS

NEWS & FEATURES BRIEF Journal of Young Investigators Our Furry Friends: the History of Animal Domestication by JESSICA LEAR under mentor MARGARET HARRIS Most of us go about our day without white so they did not look like wolves considering our encounters with at night and farmyard dogs were to be domesticated animals: our pet dog, the black to scare away thieves. Their horse we rode on the beach, the cow we shapes have also changed, although just had for lunch. Yet animal smaller-bodied dogs are not a modern domestication has played a significant invention. There is evidence that a dog role in our lives. “The history of similar to the Pekingese, a small, domestication is interesting because it vulnerable dog, lived in China in the changed human history. The 1st century A.D. domestication of animals was important enough to have happened in many places Cats are descended from five and for different species rather than just different types of wildcat, and are once,” said Kim Worley, Associate thought to have been first Professor in the department of molecular domesticated around 7,500 B.C. While and human genetics at the Baylor College they have been used as companions of Medicine. Questions of why, how, and and pets, they have historically also especially when animals became been used for controlling mice and rat domesticated have intrigued scientists for infestations. In fact, it is believed that years. cats may have first encountered humans after they were attracted to Although new technology involving rat-infested areas where humans lived. mitochondrial DNA has allowed researchers to estimate when animals Though the first evidence of a were first domesticated, there remains domesticated cat was found in Cyprus, some doubt about the precise dating of a they are most famous for their role in timeline. Scientists believe the dog was ancient Egyptian society. Egyptians the first animal to be domesticated, often mummified cats and placed them though some believe it may even have in luxurious chambers in the pyramids. been earlier. Since then, numerous There were even three feline animals including horses, pigs, and even goddesses that Egyptians worshipped. Man’s second best friend. Domesticated cats were often honeybees have been domesticated for represented in Egyptian art and sculpture. human purposes—like farming and Farm Domestications companionship, among others. Image: “Figure of a cat” by ego technique available under Alan K. Outram, head of Creative Commons license at Pet Domestications archaeology at the University of http://www.flickr.com/photos/egotechnique/3277145643/. Exeter, says that for most species, The idea that a dog is man’s best studying domestication is not about that enabled the utilization of lactose as an friend seems to be a very old concept. In pets, but about finding the origins of a adult gave an enormous advantage to that fact, a dog jawbone found in Iraq led farming economy that produced food population and contributed to stable scientists to believe that dogs were rather than collecting it from the wild. human populations that had the luxury of domesticated over 14,000 years ago. The first animals to be domesticated for excess calories,” Tellam said. “This Although wolves are the closest relatives food use are thought to be sheep, between helped civilizations to emerge.” of dogs, scientists are able to distinguish 11,000 and 9,000 B.C. in Southwest Asia. the skeletal elements because wolf heads Goats followed later around 8,000 BC. Pigs and cattle were domesticated grow larger through adulthood, whereas Both animals were used for their meat, around the same time as sheep and goats, that of a dog retains juvenile traits. milk, and coats, and became an integral but tended to be domesticated by more part of nomadic communities. settled communities. “Farming vastly Though dogs have been domesticated increased humans' capacity to feed larger for a long time, they have undergone Ross Tellam, a researcher at CSIRO populations, and also led to a much more many changes since those earliest years, Livestock Industries in Brisbane, settled way of life. With the arrival of as humans have used selective breeding to Australia, said that scientists can tell when large permanent settlements, and with the create new dog breeds with desired milk-bearing animals were domesticated ownership of land and agricultural surplus qualities. The Romans preferred colors based on when the humans in the area come major changes in the way societies for their dogs: shepherd’s dogs were bred became lactose tolerant. “The mutation were organized,” Outram explained. © JYI | Volume 23 Issue 2| February 2012 Journal of Young Investigators NEWS & FEATURES BRIEF Animals that belonged to farming take on distinct morphological changes for domestication purposes; the exception communities were herded instead of when domesticated, as observed in other is elephants trained for war. Besides immediately eaten because the farmer’s animals. “Many domestic animals see a warfare where they were used for ability to tame them meant a continuous significant size drop upon initial intimidation, elephants have been used to supply of meat and dairy. domestication, and some animals show provide transportation for people and significant morphological change, too. goods as well as for entertainment, as in “The history of human civilizations Horse size does not seem to have been circuses and zoos. Throughout the past and cattle domestication are intimately affected in the same way as other animals few decades, the care of elephants in intertwined,” Tellam said. “The ability of and there are no immediately visible circuses and zoos has greatly improved, humans to maintain a reliable, high morphological changes,” Outram said. allowing these majestic animals to energy food source that was mobile and continue to be semi-domesticated and able to live on poor quality land was a There have been reports of horse seen by millions. huge advantage and this factor certainly domestication as early as 5,000 B.C. in fostered stable communities and new Kazakhstan and 4,000 B.C. in the Many would not consider honeybees knowledge.” Eurasian Steppes, a stretch of land to be a domesticated animal, and while between Hungary and Mongolia. they can be aggressive, humans have Kim Worley believes that Archaeological evidence suggests that found a way to control them. Beekeepers understanding cattle domestication is horses were used initially for food and collect honey and beeswax using artificial crucial to the well-being of humans. “For milk—not riding—since the teeth of these hives and smokers that protect them from cattle, there is great interest in using traits very early domesticated horses do not the insects. Honey was a sought-after important to meat and milk production, show evidence of being worn down by a product in ancient Greece and the Roman disease resistance, heat tolerance, etc.,” bit (the part of the harness that fits in a Empire, and ancient bee keepers have she said. All of these features of cattle are horse’s mouth). The first conclusive even been depicted in multiple wall of interest to humans because of how evidence of horse riding, in the form of paintings in Egyptian often we eat their meat or drink their milk. bit-worn teeth, was found in Kazakhstan pyramids. However, honeybee It is thus highly important that these and dates back to 3,500-3,000 B.C. domestication could date back further products be the healthiest they possibly still, to 4,000 B.C., since researchers can be. “The riding of horses was a very believe honey bee domestication began significant additional development. This with indigenous tribes all over the world It has been hard to pinpoint a place led to a revolution in transport, trade, that would harvest honey from nests for and time that horses were domesticated, migration, and forms of warfare,” Outram food. since they were widespread and did not said. “Horseback riding may have been a key component in the fast spread of The Downside to Domestication culturally important ideas and technologies.” Although domesticated animals have brought humans invaluable advantages Horses have provided a means throughout history, they have not come of transportation for thousands of without a price. One of the main years, even beyond horseback disadvantages of animal domestication riding, as exemplified in the horse- has been an increase in the number of drawn chariots of Mesopotamia in diseases from contact with animals. 2,000 B.C. Up until modern times, Animal domestication has allowed the horses have played a key role in human population to increase and create warfare and have provided densely populated areas, but at the same transportation to the masses. time has allowed for the transmission of pathogens from the animals—pathogens Unique Domestications which otherwise may have remained isolated. Farm animals have especially put Elephants, unlike other people at risk: cows with tuberculosis, domesticated animals, have never pigs with influenza, and horses with been truly tamed, though it is rhinoviruses. Humans can also contract Manners are no small matter. Even the very largest land thought that they were serving diseases from their pets and even share a mammals, elephants, were domesticated and used for a humans in India as early as 2,000 few parasites with their furry companions. variety of purposes. B.C. They can be taught many Even though domesticated animals may behaviors and may act under the cause disease, they played a necessary Image: “Seleucis war elephant” available under Creative command of humans, but are still Commons license at role in mankind’s history and existence known to have outbreaks of temper. and will continue to play a key part in our http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seleucis_war_elepha Male elephants are harder to civilization.

Load more