Animal Domestication

What does it mean for an animal

to be “domesticated”?
• Domestication is adapting the behavior of an
animal to fit human needs
• Allows humans to have a reliable source of food,
clothing, etc, so that human populations could grow
 Trivia Time!
• In place of a warm up, we’ll see how well you
can do with some domestication Trivia.
• Go to https://b.socrative.com/login/student/
(or Google Socrative student to find the link)
• Enter room MORTONNRAS
• Take the “quiz” and see how you do!
 What’s the difference between
domesticated and tame?
Domesticated Tame
• Must be bred in captivity, • Born in the wild, breeding is
humans control breeding not controlled by humans
• So dependent on humans • Less change in behavior
that they are not likely to • Even if tamed, can return to
revert to wild state wild successfully

“Feral” is the term used to describe a domestic animal

that returns to wild – still possess domesticated
behaviors
So how does a tame animal become a domesticated
one?
Case in point: A Brief History of Dogs
Characteristics of easily domesticated
animals – play to time 4:55
Behavior
Domestic Wild
• Usually not as
aggressive, accepting of
humans
• Live in groups
• Have organized social
structures – often will
accept humans as part
of group
• Varying levels of
aggression
• Often fearful of or
aggressive towards
humans
• May be solitary or live in a
group
 Reproduction & Genetics
Domestic Wild
• Controlled by humans • Determined by natural
through selective selection
breeding • Based on:
• Based on desired traits • Fitness (ability to survive
and reproduce)
• Availability of mates
• Mating rituals & sexual
selection
 Feeding
Domestic
• Reliant on humans
• Almost always herbivores
• Able to graze (live off
land) or capable of eating
waste products
Wild
• Diverse array of foods
based on what’s
available
• Dependent on other
environmental factors
Appearance (watch video, record characteristics)
Timeline of Domestication
So… Are cats domesticated?
Functions of Animals
Or in other words:
Why animals were domesticated
1. To Provide a Steady Food Supply
Domestication of animals allowed
people to settle in civilizations
• Removed the need to hunt for animals to get
protein-rich meat
• This was more reliable than hunting, so people
could stay in one place and focus on other things
Animals raised for meat include
• Livestock: mammals used for meat such
as swine, cattle, sheep and goats

• Poultry: birds used for meat such as

chickens, turkeys, duck, etc.
2. To supply Fabrics / Fibers
Fibers, pelts and skins can be turned into fabrics for
use in clothing, shelter, tools, etc.
Examples:
• Wool (alpaca, sheep)
• Cashmere & Mohair (goats)
• Angora (rabbits)
• Silk (caterpillars)
• Leather & suede (cattle, pigs, etc)
• Feathers & Down (geese)
3. By-Products
Other parts of a carcass besides muscle meat
are repurposed for other uses, many of which
can only be produced from animals

• Edible: oleo, gelatin, sausage casings

• Hides: hair for brushes, leather, wool goods
• Inedible fats: cosmetics, soap, glue, crayons
• Livestock feeds: blood meal, bone scraps
• Drugs: insulin, cortisone, thrombin, heparin,
epinephrine, rennet, corticotropin
4. Power
Animals provide the strength and energy to do work
for humans. Less common now, historically very
important. Still prevalent in third world countries
and hard to reach places
Examples:
• Pulling a plow to till soil
• Transporting people via harness (wagons, buggies,
sleighs) or as a mount (riding horses)
• Pack animals carry equipment
• Power mills or other equipment
5. Recreation
Provide enjoyable and/or competitive opportunities
for people to participate in during leisure time or for
sport
Examples:
• Horseback riding
• Livestock shows / Fairs
• Dog Shows
• Horse or Greyhound Racing
• Bullfighting
• Goat Yoga
 6. Companion Animals
People enjoy the companionship of pets
Examples:
• Dogs
• Cats
• Parrots and other birds
• Aquarium Fish
• Rodents like Hamsters, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs,
Ferrets, Mice, Rats, Chinchillas, etc
7. Animals can help make farming
more sustainable or profitable
Any nutrients the animal does not use
to grow or power its body end up in
their manure.
Uses of manure include:
• Spreading on crop fields adds nutrients plants need
• Manure can be dried and burned as a fuel for heat
or electricity.
• Manure can be used as a raw material in methane
digestors to produce biogas which is burned for
electricity and heat.
Convert waste products into food
Many products that humans can’t or won’t eat can
be repurposed as animal feed.
Examples:
• Ruminants can digest roughage (hay, corn stalks,
crop residues, paper, sawdust)
Other animals can live off of:
• Meat, fish and bone meal (from other species)
• Spent grains from brewing
• Fruit/vegetable scraps
Concentrate Feed into Food
When animals turn their feed into muscle, which we later eat as
meat, they concentrate the nutrients in their feed. This means:
Less meat can feed more people and lead to better nutrition then
plant-based foods (especially in countries where food is scarce).
We would have to eat a LOT more plants, in the correct
combination, to get:
• All of the calories we need
• A complete protein source (only animal products contain ALL of
the essential amino acids)
• Enough vitamins and minerals
• Meat is the only natural source of vitamin B12, which is needed
for a healthy nervous system

We also often absorb nutrients better from animal products,

especially iron, zinc and calcium
 Examples:
• You’d need to eat 24 cups of broccoli to
get the protein found in a 9 oz steak
• The form of iron in meat is more easily
used by the body than the form found
in plants
Some animals are more efficient at
concentrating nutrients than others
Animals can help make a farm more profitable
by allowing them to use resources already
available to diversify their operation and
protect themselves from changes in the market
Examples:
• Low-input animals can increase income
compared to a farm that raises only crops
• Spreads risk over more enterprises (less
dependent on sales of one particular product)
• Labor & income can be spread out more
evenly across all seasons rather than having an
“off-season”
Research
Animals can be used as models for human systems and
to test products for use in humans.
Thanks to animals, we understand a lot more about:
• Nutrition / Digestion
• Organ transplants
• Cancer and other diseases
• How our own bodies work
• Genetics
• Developing new Medicines, Vaccines and Cosmetic
products
• etc
Other services
Examples:
• Service Animals: Seeing Eye Dogs, Emotional
Support Animals, etc
• Chemical Detection: bomb or drug sniffing dogs
• Search & Rescue: forensic animals (often dogs)
used to locate people or their remains
• Hunting & foraging: bird dogs, hounds, truffle pigs
Optional video the 4 “F”s of what makes an
animal able to be domesticated