Domestication of dogs is topic of Ted

Talk
march 18, 2019 by aubellringer, posted in features

David Howe, who spoke about dogs on World Anthropology Day, works for the the Veterans
Curation Program in Augusta. (photo by Tamaria Alexander)

By Tamaria Alexander |Contributor

Fun fact: There is a national day dedicated to anthropology. World Anthropology Day, held on
Feb. 21, brings awareness to this form of scientific study and all that it has to offer. Augusta
University hosted a guest speaker, David Howe, in honor of World Anthropology Day. The topic
of his Ted Talk focused on the history of dogs and their domestication.

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The term dog here refers to the familiar house dog that we all know and love. However, all dogs
are genetic descendants of the grey wolf. Grey wolves, or canis lupus, have been around as
long as, if not longer than, human beings. Howe discussed a few of the various theories about
how the grey wolf became domesticated: symbolic mutualism, artificial selection and the
Pinocchio hypothesis. These theories connect to research done by Dmitry Belyayev, a Russian
geneticist known for his Siberian fox experiments. Belyayev’s experiments resulted in
purposeful breeding for desired traits, a common occurrence in the domestication of dogs today.
One of these traits was not being fearful of human beings.

Domestication is also a real-world example of how interesting anthropology can be. Dogs
represent a human creation. Howe suggested that dogs are a tool, just as a spear or an arrow,
because humans created a calmer, friendlier, less scary version of the grey wolf. Dogs are also
a great subject to study through the various lenses of anthropology. For example, by looking
through the lens of cultural anthropology, we discover that grey wolves and humans have a lot
in common. They both participate in complex social groups, monogamy and hunting strategies.

Howe also explained the affectionate reaction that comes with seeing a dog. Oxytocin, also
referred to as the “love hormone,” is released in our brain at the sight of a dog. The release of
oxytocin can cause “mother-ese.” This term, coined by an anthropologist, refers to the baby talk
effect that occurs when we see babies, puppies or anything that we consider to be cute.

Besides his informative speech about man’s best friend, Howe also shared some details of his
current job. He works as assistant manager of the Veterans Curation Program in Augusta. This
program aids veterans in building a resume after active duty. By working alongside
archaeologists and anthropologists, veterans can learn various soft skills while assisting in tasks
such as documentation, photography and classification.