Sales generated through the links to contribute to Society for Science & the Public’s programs. “In an evolutionary sense,” Francis writes, “it pays to be domesticated.”īuy Domesticated from.

Wild goats, sheep, camels and wolves have dwindled in number. In a human-ruled world, domestic animals have the best chance of dodging extinction. Seleziona la categoria in cui desideri effettuare la ricerca. And people weren’t the only ones to benefit. Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World : Francis, Richard C.: : Libri. Without animals to provide transportation and a steady supply of meat, milk and wool, human civilization wouldn’t have gotten far, Francis writes. Without our domesticated plants and animals, human civilization as we know it would not exist. The book is meticulously researched but not a light read Francis tackles complex evolutionary and genetic topics, so readers may want to have a biology primer nearby. (Chicken fans will be disappointed, since the book is a mammals-only affair.)Įach animal gets a chapter, which describes its evolutionary history, before and after human meddling began, and the nitty-gritty of domestication’s effect on the animal’s genetic blueprint. Francis provides an in-depth look at the changes - genetic, physical and behavioral - that people have brought about in dogs, cats, sheep, goats, horses, camels, pigs and more. Check out pictures, bibliography, and biography of Richard C. Since that fateful day when the first wolf decided to stay close to hu.

New studies are shedding light on the process that has turned a wolf into a Pekingese, or a wildcat into a purring tabby ( SN: 12/27/14, p. Read 80 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. It is no accident that the cradle of civilization - the Middle East. We would still be living at subsistence level as hunter-gatherers if not for domestication. Without our domesticated plants and animals, human civilization as we know it would not exist.

These are just a few of the evolutionary origin stories that science journalist Richard Francis shares in Domesticated. Check out this great listen on Audible.ca.

Domesticated by Richard C. Francis