Animal domestication

The domestication hypothesis for dogs’ skills with human communication: a response to Udell et al. (2008) and Wynne et al. (2008)

by Alexandra Rosati

Hare, B., Rosati, A.G., Kaminski, J., Braeuer, J., Call, J., & Tomasello, M. (2010) Animal Behaviour

Domestic dogs have special skills in comprehending human communicative behaviours. Dogs across a range of breeds use... more Domestic dogs have special skills in comprehending human communicative behaviours. Dogs across a range of breeds use human communicative cues such as pointing or physical markers to find food that is hidden in one of two hiding places. Wolves, in contrast, do not readily exhibit this ability, suggesting that domestication may have shaped the expression of these skills in dogs. Recently, two papers challenge the ideas (1) that dogs outperform wolves in using human communicative gestures (Udell et al. 2008) and (2) that dogs require very limited human exposure to show initial skill in using such communicative cues (Wynne et al. 2008). To evaluate the evidence presented in these studies, we first discuss several methodological concerns that we have about the approach of Udell et al. (2008), then we reanalyse their data based on these methodological concerns. We also present a test of shelter dogs naıve to cognitive testing to examine whether it is the case that shelter dogs are less skilled at using human communicative cues than other groups of dogs. Finally, we directly rebut the critique of Wynne et al. (2008) and argue that there remains no evidence of significant differences in performance between dogs of different ages in their use of human communicative cues. We conclude that the domestication hypothesis remains the best explanation for dogs’ special skills for communicating with humans.

Arqueozoologia i faunes neolítiques a Catalunya. Problemàtica plantejada entorn a la dinàmica del procés de domesticació animal

by Maria Sana

Animal domestication : subject of study and subject of historical knowledge

by Maria Sana

CONSUMPTION OF ANIMAL RESOURCES AT THE SITES OF AKARÇAY TEPE AND TELL HALULA (MIDDLE EUPHRATES VALLEY, 8th - 6th MILLENNIA CAL BC)

by Maria Sana

Archaeozoology of the Near Eas VIIIt
TMO 49, Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée, Lyon, 2008

LA GESTIÓ DELS RECURSOS ANIMALS

by Maria Sana

Saña, M. (2011). La gestió dels recursos animals, in, Bosch, Chinchilla i Tarrús (coords.), El poblat lacustre del neolític antic de La Draga. Excavacions 2000-2005, Monografies científiques del CASC, 9: 177-212, MAC, Barcelona.

Experimental animal domestication and its application to the study of animal exploitation in prehistory

by Benjamin Arbuckle

These Modern Dogs

by Natalie Gilbert

The theme for this essay is animal domestication and more specifically, dogs. Two proposed theories for the evolution... more The theme for this essay is animal domestication and more specifically, dogs. Two proposed theories for the evolution of domestication are put forward: Control, whereby humans manipulate dogs for domestication, and Contract, where dogs willingly choose to be domesticated. Each argument is expressed as an indication of how we might have formed the modern relationship we now have with dogs - if you like, a post-domesticated plateau. To explicitly express this modern relationship there is deconstruction of a television advert that aired in the UK in 2010. The ad features a rescue dog called Harvey who uses a television advert to 'sell' his services to potential new owners. Harvey won the advertisers an 'Ad of the Year' competition and has become incredibly popular, but how does this media make-believe, so absorbed by the general public, compare to our reality? People might frequently say they want a Harvey, but the statistics on dog abandonment suggest otherwise. When are we going to re-address our intentions?

Zebu cattle are an exclusive legacy of the South Asia Neolithic.

by Vânia Costa

Chen S, Lin BZ, Baig M, Mitra B, Lopes RJ, Santos AM, Magee DA, Azevedo M, Tarroso P, Sasazaki S, Ostrowski S, Mahgoub O, Chaudhuri TK, Zhang YP, Costa V, Royo LJ, Goyache F, Luikart G, Boivin N, Fuller DQ, Mannen H, Bradley DG, Beja-Pereira A.

Animal domestication was a major step forward in human prehistory, contributing to the emergence of more complex... more Animal domestication was a major step forward in human prehistory, contributing to the emergence of more complex societies. At the time of the Neolithic transition, zebu cattle (Bos indicus) were probably the most abundant and important domestic livestock species in Southern Asia. Although archaeological evidence points toward the domestication of zebu cattle within the Indian subcontinent, the exact geographic origins and phylogenetic history of zebu cattle remains uncertain. Here, we report evidence from 844 zebu mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences surveyed from 19 Asiatic countries comprising 8 regional groups, which identify 2 distinct mitochondrial haplogroups, termed I1 and I2. The marked increase in nucleotide diversity (P < 0.001) for both the I1 and I2 haplogroups within the northern part of the Indian subcontinent is consistent with an origin for all domestic zebu in this area. For haplogroup I1, genetic diversity was highest within the Indus Valley among the three hypothesized domestication centers (Indus Valley, Ganges, and South India). These data support the Indus Valley as the most likely center of origin for the I1 haplogroup and a primary center of zebu domestication. However, for the I2 haplogroup, a complex pattern of diversity is detected, preventing the unambiguous pinpointing of the exact place of origin for this zebu maternal lineage. Our findings are discussed with respect to the archaeological record for zebu domestication within the Indian subcontinent.

Lateralised visual processing in domestic cattle herds responding to novel and familiar stimuli

by Andrew Robins

Robins, A., and Phillips, C. (2010) “Lateralised visual processing in domestic cattle herds responding to novel and familiar stimuli”. Laterality.15:514-34.doi:10.1080/13576500903049324.

We investigated whether cattle exhibit preferences to monitor challenging and novel stimuli. Experiments were... more We investigated whether cattle exhibit preferences to monitor challenging and novel stimuli. Experiments were conducted on dairy and beef cattle herds and revealed significant left eye preferences in the cattle for viewing an experimenter walking to repeatedly split the herd through its centre. Visual lateralisation was demonstrated in the preference to use the left monocular field to monitor the experimenter, alone or equipped with a range of novel stimuli. This finding is consistent with left eye preferences found in various species of mammals, birds, and amphibians responding to predators and novel stimuli. A cohort of the familiarised cattle herds was then subjected to additional herd-splitting tests with the same stimuli and demonstrated a reversal of viewing preferences, preferring to monitor the experimenter and stimuli within the right and not left monocular field. This directional shift in viewing preferences is consistent with experience-dependent learning found in lateralised visual processing in other, non-mammalian, species, and to our knowledge is the first of such studies to suggest that such lateralised learning processes also exist in mammals. Together the data support a number of key hypotheses concerning the evolution and conservation of lateralised brain function in vertebrates, and also provide important considerations for livestock handling.

Hommes et femmes durant la tansition néolithique

by Rene Hirsch

Au Levant, une première tentative de sédentarisation, celle des Natoufiens, échoue avec les changements climatiques du... more Au Levant, une première tentative de sédentarisation, celle des Natoufiens, échoue avec les changements climatiques du Dryas récent. Le retour d’un climat plus favorable voit une seconde vague de sédentarisation être couronnée de succès.

Sédentarisation et agriculture sont surtout l’oeuvre des femmes. Les hommes continuent à chasser pour approvisionner les communautés en viande. De fait, le maintien des modes de vie du nomadisme et de ses normes prolongera longtemps encore les normes et valeurs culturelles du Paléolithique. Cet héritage aura notamment pour effet de retarder l’intégration de la domestication animale dans l’économie communautaire, et limitera les retombées sociales de la découverte de la paternité.

L’architecture qui fait ses premiers pas, les rites funéraires, ainsi que les figurines et autres objets ou représentations mis au jour par les fouilles archéologiques indiquent une société tribale égalitaire stable, ayant conservé un grand nombre de traditions et de croyances héritées du paléolithique.

La fin du Néolithique va être marquée par des transformations profondes, provoquées par la dégradation des conditions environnementales et économiques.

Des Catégories Animales Aux Catégories Sociales: Ordinaire et Extraordinaire en Matière de Consommation de Viande Chez les Touaregs (Tagaraygarayt, Niger)

by sarah cabalion

Patterns of East Asian pig domestication, migration, and turnover revealed by modern and ancient DNA.

by Dorian Fuller

PNAS

Zebu cattle are an exclusive legacy of the South Asia Neolithic.

by Dorian Fuller

Molecular Biology and Evolution 27(1): 1-6

An Emerging Paradigm Shift in the Origins of Agriculture

by Dorian Fuller