Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Biological Sciences, Zoology, Evolution
Cover of the book Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World by Richard C. Francis, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Richard C. Francis ISBN: 9780393246513
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: May 25, 2015
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Richard C. Francis
ISBN: 9780393246513
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: May 25, 2015
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

“An essential read for anyone interested in the stories of the animals in our home or on our plate.”—BBC Focus

Without our domesticated plants and animals, human civilization as we know it would not exist. We would still be living at subsistence level as hunter-gatherers if not for domestication. It is no accident that the cradle of civilization—the Middle East—is where sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, and cats commenced their fatefully intimate association with humans.

Before the agricultural revolution, there were perhaps 10 million humans on earth. Now there are more than 7 billion of us. Our domesticated species have also thrived, in stark contrast to their wild ancestors. In a human-constructed environment—or man-made world—it pays to be domesticated.

Domestication is an evolutionary process first and foremost. What most distinguishes domesticated animals from their wild ancestors are genetic alterations resulting in tameness, the capacity to tolerate close human proximity. But selection for tameness often results in a host of seemingly unrelated by-products, including floppy ears, skeletal alterations, reduced aggression, increased sociality, and reduced brain size. It's a package deal known as the domestication syndrome.

Elements of the domestication syndrome can be found in every domesticated species—not only cats, dogs, pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses but also more recent human creations, such as domesticated camels, reindeer, and laboratory rats. That domestication results in this suite of changes in such a wide variety of mammals is a fascinating evolutionary story, one that sheds much light on the evolutionary process in general.

We humans, too, show signs of the domestication syndrome, which some believe was key to our evolutionary success. By this view, human evolution parallels the evolution of dogs from wolves, in particular.

A natural storyteller, Richard C. Francis weaves history, archaeology, and anthropology to create a fascinating narrative while seamlessly integrating the most cutting-edge ideas in twenty-first-century biology, from genomics to evo-devo.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

“An essential read for anyone interested in the stories of the animals in our home or on our plate.”—BBC Focus

Without our domesticated plants and animals, human civilization as we know it would not exist. We would still be living at subsistence level as hunter-gatherers if not for domestication. It is no accident that the cradle of civilization—the Middle East—is where sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, and cats commenced their fatefully intimate association with humans.

Before the agricultural revolution, there were perhaps 10 million humans on earth. Now there are more than 7 billion of us. Our domesticated species have also thrived, in stark contrast to their wild ancestors. In a human-constructed environment—or man-made world—it pays to be domesticated.

Domestication is an evolutionary process first and foremost. What most distinguishes domesticated animals from their wild ancestors are genetic alterations resulting in tameness, the capacity to tolerate close human proximity. But selection for tameness often results in a host of seemingly unrelated by-products, including floppy ears, skeletal alterations, reduced aggression, increased sociality, and reduced brain size. It's a package deal known as the domestication syndrome.

Elements of the domestication syndrome can be found in every domesticated species—not only cats, dogs, pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses but also more recent human creations, such as domesticated camels, reindeer, and laboratory rats. That domestication results in this suite of changes in such a wide variety of mammals is a fascinating evolutionary story, one that sheds much light on the evolutionary process in general.

We humans, too, show signs of the domestication syndrome, which some believe was key to our evolutionary success. By this view, human evolution parallels the evolution of dogs from wolves, in particular.

A natural storyteller, Richard C. Francis weaves history, archaeology, and anthropology to create a fascinating narrative while seamlessly integrating the most cutting-edge ideas in twenty-first-century biology, from genomics to evo-devo.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book Stars Between the Sun and Moon: One Woman's Life in North Korea and Escape to Freedom by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book The Earth Moves: Galileo and the Roman Inquisition (Great Discoveries) by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book The Modern Element: Essays on Contemporary Poetry by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book The Body Never Lies: The Lingering Effects of Cruel Parenting by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book A Dissociation Model of Borderline Personality Disorder (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book Fight No More: Stories by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book Say That To My Face: Fiction by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book Coventry: A Novel by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book Michigan: A Bicentennial History (States and the Nation) by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book The Chan's Great Continent: China in Western Minds by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book Lavoisier in the Year One: The Birth of a New Science in an Age of Revolution (Great Discoveries) by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book Waistland: A (R)evolutionary View of Our Weight and Fitness Crisis by Richard C. Francis
Cover of the book Black Masters: A Free Family of Color in the Old South by Richard C. Francis
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy