Domestication
Dogs and sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated.
Statistics
US livestock inventory figures for 2004 Animal Number Pigs 58,901,000 Cows kept for beef 42,947,000 Total cows 52,099,000 Total cattle 95,233,000 Edit this table

Domesticated animals, plants, and other organisms are those whose collective behavior, life cycle, or physiology has been altered as a result of their breeding and living conditions being under human control for multiple generations. Humans have brought these populations under their care for a wide range of reasons: for help with various types of work, to produce food or valuable commodities (such as wool, cotton, or silk), and to enjoy as pets or ornamental plants. Shepherd and dog, India. ... Shepherd and dog, India. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Divisions Green algae Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular embryophytes Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Seedless vascular plants Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants... In biology and ecology, an organism (in Greek organon = instrument) is a living being. ... Ethology is the scientific study of animal behaviour considered as a branch of zoology. ... A life cycle includes the major sexual stages of a species, especially in regard to its ploidy. ... Physiology (in Greek physis = nature and logos = word) is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. ... Binomial name Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies Homo sapiens idaltu (extinct) Homo sapiens sapiens Human beings define themselves in biological, social, and spiritual terms. ... In classical economics and all micro-economics labour is one of four factors of production, the others being land, capital and enterprise. ... The word commodity is a term with distinct meanings in business and in Marxist political economy. ... Long and short hair wool at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Boonesville, AR Wool is the fiber derived from the hair of domesticated animals, usually sheep. ... Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World. ... Silk (< OE sioloc probably < L. SERICVS / Gr. ... A pet or companion animal is an animal that is kept by humans for companionship and enjoyment, rather than for economic reasons. ... An ornamental is a plant variety that is grown for its beauty (in its end use), rather than commercial or other value. ...

Domestication of technology is also a theory of how new technologies are 'tamed' or appropriated by society. Technology (Gr. ...

Process of domestication

There is debate within the scientific community over how the process of domestication works. Some researchers give credit to mutations outside of human control for making some members of a species more compatible to human cultivation or companionship. Others have shown that carefully controlled selective breeding is responsible for many of the collective changes associated with domestication. Theorists also note that natural selection probably played a role in the domestication of some species. These categories are not mutually exclusive and it is likely that mutations, selective breeding, and natural selection have all played some role in the process of domestication throughout history. This article is about mutation in biology, for other meanings see: mutation (disambiguation). ... Selective breeding in domesticated animals is the process of developing a cultivated breed over time. ... Natural selection is the primary mechanism within the scientific theory of evolution, in that it alters the frequency of alleles within a population. ...

The domestication of wheat provides an example of how mutation can play a key role in the process. Wild wheat falls to the ground to reseed itself when it is ripe, but domesticated wheat stays on the stem when it is ripe. There is evidence that this critical change came about as a result of a random mutation near the beginning of wheat's cultivation. Wheat with this mutation was much more useful to farmers and became the basis for the various strains of domesticated wheat that have since been developed. Species T. boeoticum T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat (Triticum spp) is a grass that is cultivated around the world. ...

The example of wheat has lead some to speculate that mutations may have been the basis for other early instances of domestication. It is speculated that a mutation made some wolves less wary of humans. This allowed these wolves to start following humans to scavenge for food in their garbage dumps. Presumably something like a symbiotic relationship developed between humans and this population of wolves. The wolves benefited from human food scraps, and humans may have found that the wolves could warn them of approaching enemies, help with hunting, carry loads, provide warmth, or supplement their food supply. As this relationship evolved, humans eventually began to raise the wolves and breed the types of dogs that we have today. Other theorists have pointed out that natural selection rather than a random mutation could also be used to explain this process. Wolves that were more comfortable eating food scraps near human settlements would have had an advantage over other wolves. They would have been more likely to survive and pass on their tolerance of humans to the next generation. Thus the process of domestication would have started naturally before any human intervention or selective breeding was involved. Binomial name Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 The Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), also known colloquially as just the wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family and the ancestor of the domestic dog. ... Common Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) in their Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica) home. ...

Nonetheless, some researchers maintain that selective breeding rather than mutation or natural selection best explains how the process of domestication typically worked. Some of the most well-known evidence in support of selective breeding comes from an experiment by Russian scientist, Dmitry Belyaev, in the 1950s. His team spent many years breeding the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes) and selecting only those individuals that showed the least fear of humans. Eventually, Belyaev's team selected only those that showed the most positive response to humans. He ended up with a population of grey fox whose behavior and appearance was significantly changed. These foxes no longer showed any fear of humans and often wagged their tails and lick their human caretakers to show affection. Binomial name Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes), the most familiar of the foxes, has the widest range of any terrestrial carnivore. ...

Despite the success of this experiment, it is clear that selective breeding cannot always achieve domestication. Attempts to domesticate several kinds of wild animals in this way have failed repeatedly. The zebra is one example. The historical process of domestication cannot be fully explained by any one principle acting alone. Some combination of mutation, natural selection, or selective breeding has played a role in the domestication of the various species that humans have come into close contact with throughout history. Species Equus zebra Equus quagga Equus grevyi See Equus for other species. ...

Domestication of animals

According to physiologist Jared Diamond, animal species must meet six criteria in order to be considered for domestication: Jared Mason Diamond (born September 10, 1937) is an American author, evolutionary biologist, physiologist, and biogeographer. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... In biology, a species is a kind of organism. ...

1. Flexible diet — Creatures that are willing to consume a wide variety of food sources and can live off less cumulative food from the food pyramid are less expensive to keep in captivity. Most carnivores can only be fed meat, which requires the expenditure of many herbivores.
2. Reasonably fast growth rate — Fast maturity rate compared to the human life span allows breeding intervention and make the animal useful within an acceptable duration of caretaking. Large animals such as elephants require many years before they reach a useful size.
3. Ability to be bred in captivity — Creatures that are reluctant to breed when kept in captivity do not produce useful offspring, and instead are limited to capture in their wild state. Creatures such as the panda and cheetah are difficult to breed in captivity.
4. Pleasant disposition — Large creatures that are aggressive toward humans are dangerous to keep in captivity. The African buffalo has an unpredictable nature and is highly dangerous to humans.
5. Temperament which makes it unlikely to panic — A creature with a nervous disposition is difficult to keep in captivity as they will attempt to flee whenever they are startled. The gazelle is very flighty and it has a powerful leap that allows it to escape an enclosed pen.
6. Modifiable social hierarchy — Social creatures that recognize a hierarchy of dominance can be raised to recognize a human as its pack leader.

A herding instinct arguably aids in domesticating animals: tame one and others will follow, regardless of chiefdom. In nutrition, the diet is the sum of the food consumed by a body. ... This Food Pyramid diagram can be found on much of the food packaging in the United States The food guide pyramid, informally known as the food pyramid, is a nutrition guide created by the USDA. Released in 1992, it suggests how much of each food category one should eat each... Carnivores are animals that eat a diet consisting mostly of meat. ... Meat is animal tissue (mainly muscle) used as food. ... In zoology, an herbivore is an animal that is adapted to eat primarily plants (rather than meat). ... See economic growth Growth rate (group theory) Population growth rate This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Stegodon (extinct) Deinotherium (extinct) Mammuthus (extinct) Elephantidae (the elephants) is the only extant family in the order Proboscidea. ... Selective breeding in domesticated animals is the process of developing a cultivated breed over time. ... Panda is tha act of having sex with another persons ear ... Binomial name Acinonyx jubatus (Schreber, 1775) The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is an atypical member of the cat family (Felidae) that hunts by speed rather than by stealth or pack tactics. ... Aggression is defined as The act of initiating hostilities or invasion. ... Binomial name Syncerus caffer (Sparrman, 1779) The African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a bovid from the family of the Bovidae. ... In psychology, temperament is the general nature of an individuals personality, such as introversion or extraversion, it derives from the theory of the humours. ... Panic is a sudden terror which dominates thinking and often affects groups of people. ... A GAZelle (Russian: ) is a series of mid-sized trucks, vans and buses made by Russian car manufacturer GAZ. The base model number is GAZ-3302, but several variants exist. ... Social hierarchy is a phrase used to describe the distribution of political power, wealth, and/or social status among people within a national or cultural group. ... In common usage, leadership generally refers to: the position or office of an authority figure, such as a President [1] a position of office associated with technical skill or experience, as in a team leader or a chief engineer a group of influential people, such as a union leadership [2... Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group, maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place - or any combination of those. ...

Domestication of plants

Given agriculture's importance to humans, the domestication of plants is even more important than the domestication of animals. Plants were first domesticated around 9000 BCE in the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East. The first plants domesticated were generally annuals with large seeds or fruits. These included certain pulses such as peas and grains such as wheat. The Fertile Crescent is a region in the Middle East incorporating present-day Israel, West Bank, and Lebanon and parts of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and south-eastern Turkey. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Varieties of soybean seeds, a popular legume The term legume has two closely related meanings in botany, a situation encountered with many botanical common names of useful plants whereby an applied name can refer to either the plant itself, or to the edible fruit (or useful part). ... Binomial name Pisum sativum A pea is the small, edible round green bean which grows in a pod on the leguminous vine Pisum sativum. ... Species T. boeoticum T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat (Triticum spp) is a grass that is cultivated around the world. ...

The Middle East was especially suited to these species; the dry climate was conducive to large seeds, and the variety of elevations lead to a great variety of species. As it took place humans began to move from a nomadic hunter-gatherer society to a settled agricultural society. This change eventually lead, some 4000 to 5000 years later, to the first city states and eventually the rise of civilization itself. Communities of nomadic people move from place to place, rather than settling down in one location. ... In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... A civilization or civilisation has a variety of meanings related to human society. ...

Domestication was gradual, a process of trial and error that occurred slowly. Over time perennials and small trees began to be domesticated including apples and olives. Some plants were not domesticated until recently such as the macadamia nut and the pecan. Species Malus domestica Malus sieversii The apple is the pomaceous fruit of plants of the genus Malus in the family Rosaceae, and is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. ... Species About 20, including: Olea brachiata Olea capensis Olea caudatilimba Olea europaea Olea exasperata Olea guangxiensis Olea hainanensis Olea laxiflora Olea neriifolia Olea paniculata Olea parvilimba Olea rosea Olea salicifolia Olea tetragonoclada Olea tsoongii Olea undulata The olives (Olea) are a genus of about 20 species of small trees in... Species Macadamia integrifolia Macadamia tetraphylla The macadamia nut is the fruit of a tree native to the east coast of Australia. ... Binomial name Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh. ...

In different parts of the world very different species were domesticated. In the Americas squash, maize, and beans formed the core of the diet. In East Asia rice, and soy were the most important crops. Some areas of the world such as Australia never saw local species domesticated. The Americas refers collectively to North and South America, as a relatively recent and less ambiguous alternative to the name America, which may refer to either the Americas (typically in languages other than English, where it is often considered a single continent) or to the United States (in English and... Species - hubbard squash, buttercup squash - cushaw squash - butternut squash - most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash References: ITIS 22365 2002-11-06 Hortus Third Squashes are four species of the genus Cucurbita, also called pumpkins and marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker. ... Species Zea diploperennis Zea luxurians Zea nicaraguensis Zea perennis References ITIS 42268 2002-09-22 Sorting Zea names This article is about the staple food. ... This article is on the plant. ... Species References ITIS 41975 2002-09-22 This article is about the food grain, not the university or Condoleezza Rice; see also rice (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Glycine max Soybeans (US) or soya beans (UK) (Glycine max) are a high-protein legume (Family Fabaceae) grown as food for both humans and livestock. ...

Over the millennia many domesticated species have become utterly unlike their natural ancestors. Corn cobs are now dozens of times the size of their wild ancestors. A similar change occurred between wild and domesticated strawberries. Species see text The strawberry (Fragaria) is a genus of plants in the Family Rosaceae (Rose Family), and the fruit of these plants. ...

Degrees of domestication

The boundaries between surviving wild populations and domestic clades of elephants, for example, can become vague. This is due to their slow growth. Similar problems of definition arise when, for example, domesticated cats go feral. A classification system that can help solve this confusion might be set up on a spectrum of increasing domestication: Greek clados = branch) or phylogenetic systematics is a branch of biology that determines the evolutionary relationships of living things based on derived similarities. ... Classification may refer to: Taxonomic classification Statistical classification Hint: Language use may refer to a taxonomic classification that is used for statistical purposes also as a statistical classification (like International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems). ...

• Wild: These species experience their full life cycles without deliberate human intervention.
• Raised at zoos or botanical gardens: These species are nurtured and sometimes bred under human control, but remain as a group essentially indistinguishable in appearance or behavior from their wild counterparts. (It should be noted that zoos and botanical gardens sometimes exhibit domesticated or feral animals and plants such as camels, dingoes, mustangs, and some orchids.)
• Raised commercially: These species are ranched or farmed in large numbers for food, commodities, or the pet trade, but as a group they are not substantially altered in appearance or behavior. Examples include the ostrich, deer, alligator, cricket, pearl oyster, and ball python. (These species are sometimes referred to as partially domesticated.)
• Domesticated: These species or varieties are bred and raised under human control for many generations and are substantially altered as a group in appearance or behavior. Examples include the dog, sheep, cattle, chicken, guinea pig and laboratory mice.

This classification system does not account for several complicating factors: genetically modified organism, feral populations, and hybridization. Many species that are farmed or ranched are now being genetically modified. This creates a unique category because it alters the organisms as a group but in ways unlike traditional domestication. Feral organisms are members of a population that was once raised under human control, but is now living and multiplying outside of human control. Examples include mustangs and probably the Australian dingo. Hybrids can be wild, domesticated, or both: a liger is a hybrid of two wild animals, a mule is a hybrid of two domesticated animals, and a beefalo is a cross between a wild and a domestic animal. A zoo. ... Inside the United States Botanic Garden Inside the United States Botanic Garden Inside Kew Gardens Palm House Botanical gardens (in Latin hortus botanicus) grow a wide variety of plants both for scientific purposes and for the enjoyment and education of visitors. ... Ranching is the raising of cattle or sheep on rangeland, although one might also speak of ranching with regard to less common livestock such as elk, bison or emu. ... Bales of hay on a farm near Ames, Iowa A farm is the basic unit in agriculture. ... Binomial name Struthio camelus Linnaeus, 1758 The Ostrich (Struthio camelus, Greek sparrow camel) is the largest living bird, reaching a height of up to 2. ... Genera About 15 in 4 subfamilies. ... Species Alligator mississippiensis Alligator sinensis Alligator is a genus of the Alligatoridae family of crocodile-like reptiles. ... An Australian Brown Field Cricket Crickets, family Gryllidae (also known as true crickets), are insects related to grasshoppers and katydids (order Orthoptera). ... For other things called pearl, see pearl (disambiguation). ... The name oyster is used for a number of different groups of mollusks which grow for the most part in marine or brackish water. ... Binomial name Python regius (Shaw, 1802) The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to Africa. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The Dog is a canine carnivorous mammal that has been domesticated for at least 14,000 years and perhaps for as long as 150,000 years based on recent evidence. ... Binomial name Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758 A sheep is any of several woolly ruminant quadrupeds, but most commonly the Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries), which probably descends from the wild moufflon of south-central and south-west Asia. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... Binomial name Gallus gallus (Linnaeus, 1758) This article is concerned with chicken as a domesticated fowl; for other uses of the term see chicken (disambiguation). ... Species Cavia porcellus Cavia aperea Cavia tschudii Cavia guianae Cavia anolaimae Cavia nana Cavia fulgida Cavia magna Guinea pigs (also called cavies) are rodents belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. ... For the input device, see computer mouse. ... Genetic engineering, genetic modification (GM), and gene splicing (once in widespread use but now deprecated) are terms for the process of manipulating genes in an organism, usually outside of the organisms normal reproductive process. ... A feral animal or plant is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. ... In genetics, hybridisation is the process of mixing different species or varieties of organisms. ... A mustang is a small, hardy, naturalized (feral) horse of the North American west. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus dingo (Meyer, 1793) Breed classification Breed standards (external link) ANKC The Dingo (Canis lupus dingo), is a type of wild dog, probably descended from the Indian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes). ... Hobbs, a liger The liger is a cross (a hybrid) between a male lion and a female tiger. ... In its common modern meaning, a mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. ... Beefalo are a fertile variety of Cattalo. ...

A great difference exists between a tame animal and a domesticated animal. The term "domesticated" refers to an entire species or variety while the term "tame" can refer to just one individual within a species or variety. Humans have tamed many thousands of animals that have never been truly domesticated. These include the elephant, giraffes, and bears. There is debate over whether some species have been domesticated or just tamed. Some state that the elephant has been domesticated, while others argue the cat has never been. One dividing line is whether a specimen born to wild parents would differ in behavior from one born to domesticated parents. For instance a dog is certainly domesticated because even a wolf (genetically the origin of all dogs) raised from a pup would be very different from a dog. Binomial name Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 The Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), also known colloquially as just the wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family and the ancestor of the domestic dog. ... Pup refers to the young of several species of animals, and from there has been used to name various products to imply the youth, vigor, and perhaps cuteness of the product. ...

History of domestication

The first domestic animal was probably the dog, possibly as early as 10000 BCE in the Natufian culture of the Levant, though there is evidence of an association between humans and wolves going back 150000 years. The next three - the goat, sheep and pig - were domesticated around 8000 BCE, all in western Asia. However, there is recent archaeological evidence from Cyprus of domestication of a type of cat by perhaps 7500 BCE: this might make the cat second. The cow followed around 6000 BCE. The horse was first domesticated (probably in northern Russia) around 4000 BCE. Local equivalents and smaller species were domesticated from the 2500s BCE. Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The Dog is a canine carnivorous mammal that has been domesticated for at least 14,000 years and perhaps for as long as 150,000 years based on recent evidence. ... The Natufian culture existed in the Mediterranean region of the Levant. ... The Levant is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in Southwest Asia south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and the north Arabian Desert and Mesopotamia to the east. ... Binomial name Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies Homo sapiens idaltu (extinct) Homo sapiens sapiens Human beings define themselves in biological, social, and spiritual terms. ... Binomial name Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 The Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), also known colloquially as just the wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family and the ancestor of the domestic dog. ... Trinomial name Felis silvestris catus Schreber, 1775 The cat (also called domestic cat or house cat) is a small feline carnivorous mammal. ...

The processes of domestication and the distribution of domesticated species were both radically affected by the establishment of regular contact between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres following the voyages of Christopher Columbus. This sudden increase in the transmission of organisms between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres is referred to as the Columbian Exchange. Christopher Columbus For information about the director, see the article on Chris Columbus. ... The Columbian Exchange has been one of the most significant events in the history of world ecology, agriculture, and culture. ...

Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The Dog is a canine carnivorous mammal that has been domesticated for at least 14,000 years and perhaps for as long as 150,000 years based on recent evidence. ... (Redirected from 10000 BCE) The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic – lit. ... A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... Binomial name Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758 A sheep is any of several woolly ruminant quadrupeds, but most commonly the Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries), which probably descends from the wild moufflon of south-central and south-west Asia. ... (9th millennium BC – 8th millennium BC – 7th millennium BC – other millennia) Events The south area of Çatalhöyük. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... A goat is an animal in the genus Capra, which consists of nine species: the Ibex, the West Caucasian Tur, the East Caucasian Tur, the Markhor, and the Wild Goat. ... (9th millennium BC – 8th millennium BC – 7th millennium BC – other millennia) Events The south area of Çatalhöyük. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms The domestic pig is usually given the scientific name Sus scrofa, though some authors call it , reserving for the wild boar. ... (9th millennium BC – 8th millennium BC – 7th millennium BC – other millennia) Events The south area of Çatalhöyük. ... Look up Cow in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Cow may refer to: Female cattle, other bovines, or other large mammals including elephants and whales. ... (7th millennium BC – 6th millennium BC – 5th millennium BC – other millennia) Events c. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Binomial name Equus caballus The Horse (Equus caballus) is a large ungulate mammal, one of the seven modern species of the genus Equus. ... (5th millennium BC – 4th millennium BC – 3rd millennium BC - other millennia) Events City of Ur in Mesopotamia (40th century BC). ... Binomial name Equus asinus The donkey or ass (Equus asinus) is a domesticated animal of the horse family, Equidae. ... (5th millennium BC – 4th millennium BC – 3rd millennium BC - other millennia) Events City of Ur in Mesopotamia (40th century BC). ... Binomial name Bubalus arnee (Kerr, 1792) The Water Buffalo is a very large ungulate. ... (5th millennium BC – 4th millennium BC – 3rd millennium BC - other millennia) Events City of Ur in Mesopotamia (40th century BC). ... Species A. mellifera — western honeybee A. cerana — eastern honeybee The honeybee is a colonial insect that is often maintained, fed, and transported by farmers. ... (5th millennium BC – 4th millennium BC – 3rd millennium BC - other millennia) Events City of Ur in Mesopotamia (40th century BC). ... This is a region of the continent of Asia that can have the following interpretations: The Indian Subcontinent and nearby islands in the Indian Ocean; see South Asia India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka All of Asia that is considered to be Southwest, South and Southeast Asia. ... Binomial name Gallus gallus (Linnaeus, 1758) This article is concerned with chicken as a domesticated fowl; for other uses of the term see chicken (disambiguation). ... (36th century BC - 35th century BC - 34th century BC - other centuries) (5th millennium BC - 4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC) Events ? - Formation of the Sahara Desert 3450 (?) - Stage IId of the Naqada culture in Egypt Significant persons Inventions, discoveries, introductions ? _ Irrigation in Egypt ? - First use of Cuneiform (script) Categories... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Trinomial name Felis silvestris catus Schreber, 1775 The cat (also called domestic cat or house cat) is a small feline carnivorous mammal. ... (36th century BC - 35th century BC - 34th century BC - other centuries) (5th millennium BC - 4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC) Events ? - Formation of the Sahara Desert 3450 (?) - Stage IId of the Naqada culture in Egypt Significant persons Inventions, discoveries, introductions ? _ Irrigation in Egypt ? - First use of Cuneiform (script) Categories... Binomial name Lama glama (Linnaeus, 1758) The Llama (Lama glama) is a large camelid native to South America. ... (36th century BC - 35th century BC - 34th century BC - other centuries) (5th millennium BC - 4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC) Events ? - Formation of the Sahara Desert 3450 (?) - Stage IId of the Naqada culture in Egypt Significant persons Inventions, discoveries, introductions ? _ Irrigation in Egypt ? - First use of Cuneiform (script) Categories... Binomial name Bombyx mori Linnaeus, 1758 The silkworm (Bombyx mori, lit. ... (31st century BC - 30th century BC - 29th century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2925 - 2776 BC - First Dynasty wars in Egypt 2900 BC - Beginning of the Early Dynastic Period I in Mesopotamia. ... Binomial name Camelus bactrianus Linnaeus, 1758 The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of eastern Asia. ... (Redirected from 2500 BCE) (26th century BC - 25th century BC - 24th century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2900 - 2334 BC -- Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period 2494 BC -- End of Fourth Dynasty, start of Fifth Dynasty in Egypt. ... Map of Central Asia outlined in orange showing one set of possible borders Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... Binomial name Camelus dromedarius Linnaeus, 1758 The Dromedary, or Arabian Camel (Camelus dromedarius), is a large even-toed ungulate native to northern Africa and western Asia, and the best-known member of the camel family. ... (Redirected from 2500 BCE) (26th century BC - 25th century BC - 24th century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2900 - 2334 BC -- Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period 2494 BC -- End of Fourth Dynasty, start of Fifth Dynasty in Egypt. ... The term the Middle East sometimes applies to the peninsula alone, but usually refers to the Arabian Peninsula plus the Levant, Mesopotamia, and Iran. ... -1... Species Cavia porcellus Cavia aperea Cavia tschudii Cavia guianae Cavia anolaimae Cavia nana Cavia fulgida Cavia magna Guinea pigs (also called cavies) are rodents belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. ... Events Persian scientist, Rhazes, distinguished smallpox from measles in the course of his writings. ... Genera Pentalagus Bunolagus Nesolagus Romerolagus Brachylagus Sylvilagus Oryctolagus Poelagus The bane of Australian farmers - the wild rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae, found in many parts of the world. ... Events Europes population was ~60 million. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... A red fox The foxes comprise 23 species of omnivorous canids, found worldwide. ... Events and Trends Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815). ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... An American Mink, Mustela vison, in the wild. ... Events and Trends Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815). ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Genera Cricetus Mesocricetus Cricetulus Phodopus This article is about the animal. ... Events and trends The 1930s were spent struggling for a solution to the global depression. ... Genera About 15 in 4 subfamilies. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ...

Limits of domestication

Despite long enthusiasm about revolutionary progress in farming, few crops and probably even fewer animals ever became domesticated. While the process continues with plants (berryfruits, for example), it appears to have ceased with animals.

Domesticated species, when bred for tractability, companionship or ornamentation rather than for survival, can often fall prey to disease: several sub-species of apples or cattle, for example, face extinction; and many dogs with very respectable pedigrees appear prone to genetic problems. A pedigree is a list of ancestors (usually implying distinguished), a list of ancestors of the same breed (usually in the case of animals), the purity of a breed, individual, or strain, or a document proving any of these things. ...

One side-effect of domestication has been disease. For example, cattle have given humanity various viral poxes, measles, and tuberculosis; pigs gave influenza; and horses the rhinoviruses. Humans share over sixty diseases with dogs. Many parasites also have their origins in domestic animals. A parasite is an organism that lives in or on the living tissue of a host organism at the expense of that host. ...

See also

• Lists and timelines
  • List of domesticated animals
  • List of domesticated plants
  • List of domesticated fungi and microorganisms
  • Timeline of agriculture and food technology

• Articles
  • Agriculture
  • Horticulture
  • Animal husbandry
  • Pet
  • Feral
  • Pedomorphosis
  • Selective breeding
  • Genetic engineering
  • Hybrid
  • Columbian Exchange
  • Domestication of the horse
  • Turkey (domesticated)
  • Lion taming

This is a list of animals that have been domesticated by humans. ... This is a list of plants that have been domesticated by humans. ... List of domesticated organisms from other kingdoms (Fungi, Protista, and Monera) Food (and cooking) mushrooms yeast (baking, winemaking and brewing) moulds (for making cheese, tempeh, Quorn, Pu-erh and some sausages) bacteria (for cheese, yogurt, kephir, buttermilk, sour cream) Research, medicine and science viruses (for vaccines and research) bacteria (for... Timeline of agriculture and food technology 6500 BC - Evidence of cattle domestication in Turkey. ... The Latin words hortus (garden plant) and cultura (culture) together form horticulture, classically defined as the culture or growing of garden plants. ... In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ... A pet or companion animal is an animal that is kept by humans for companionship and enjoyment, rather than for economic reasons. ... A feral animal or plant is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. ... Selective breeding in domesticated animals is the process of developing a cultivated breed over time. ... An iconic image of genetic engineering; this 1986 autoluminograph of a glowing transgenic tobacco plant bearing the luciferase gene of fireflys strikingly demonstrates the power and potential of genetic manipulation. ... In biology, hybrid has three meanings. ... The Columbian Exchange has been one of the most significant events in the history of world ecology, agriculture, and culture. ... There are a number of theories regarding the domestication of the horse. ... Species  Meleagris gallopavo  Meleagris ocellata The domesticated turkey is descended from the North American Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo. ...

External links

• Discussion of animal domestication
• Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond (ISBN 0393038912)
• News story about an early domesticated cat find
• Belyaev experiment with the domestic fox
• Use of Domestic Animals in Zoo Education
• An essay on the effects of domestication on ecology and civilization