From man’s first friend to the revolution in mobility: how do we conquer the animals we live with today?
Simple meat eaters, humans began at a certain point in history to create species and modify them according to their needs. It is a cultural process, yes, but also a biological one of domestication, in which both sides often benefit.
From a biological point of view, domestication is an ecological relationship in which one species directly influences another, deciding which individuals will have greater reproductive success. Traditionally considered an exclusively human practice, domestication also occurs in other species, recalls . Some ants cultivate fungi for food, and there are cases of fish and algae maintaining similar incipient relationships. But humans are distinguished by having established these relationships with hundreds of animal and plant species, transforming the environment around them and creating increasingly complex societies.
Man’s first friend
Domesticated from the wolf (Canis lupus), dog domestication is one of the oldest episodes in human history, with archaeological evidence suggesting interactions more than 30,000 years ago — although the period 15,000 years ago is traditionally cited as the beginning of its domestication.
Genetic studies indicate that all current domestic dogs descend from two Eurasian wolf populations, having diverged around 40,000 years ago.
The initial process appears to have been gradual: wolves followed hunter-gatherers and fed on the remains of their prey. Over time, humans recognized them as valuable allies, unconsciously selecting the most docile and least fearful individuals. With the emergence of the first agricultural communities, selection became deliberate, creating dogs with specific functions, from herding to guarding and companionship.
A self-determined domestication
The domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) is a special case because, unlike other animals, domesticated himself.
A descendant of the wild cat Felis silvestris lybica, originally from Africa and the Middle East, the cat approached human villages attracted by rats and other small animals that infected cereals.
Archaeological evidence in Cyprus, where the remains of a human and a cat were found together around 9,500 years ago, indicates a relationship already consolidated at this time.
The interaction between cats and humans evolved naturally: cats benefited from food and protection, while humans saw these felines as allies in pest control.
The beginning of cattle
Sheep (Aries sheep) e goats (Capra hircus) were some of the first animals intentionally bred by man, around 9,500 years ago in the Middle East.
Sheep probably descended from the mouflon (Ovis orientalis) and had a relatively uneventful domestication, while goats, descendants of the bezoar ibex (Capra aegagrus), went through several episodes of domestication in different regions such as Iran, giving rise to modern cattle.
The choice of these animals was based on their multiple utility: they provided meat, milk, wool and skin, being relatively small and easy to control, factors that facilitated their creation and reproduction.
The first source of work
Dave Wild / Flickr
The Bos primigenius, or , is the ancestor of the domestic cow (Bos taurus) and the zebu (Bos taurus indicus). Domestication occurred in the Fertile Crescent region around 9,000 years ago, offering man not only meat and milk, but also labor power.
Cows were used in agriculture and in the transport of people and goods, revolutionizing the production and distribution of goods. In other regions, species such as the yak or water buffalo were domesticated locally, but did not have the global expansion of cows and zebus.
Meat and sustenance
The pig (Sus scrofa domestica) stands out for its domestication focused on meat production. Initially domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9,000 years ago, there was also independent domestication in China, with interbreeding only intensifying in the 18th century.
European pigs retain less genetic heritage from the original Fertile Crescent animals than expected, due to later crosses with wild boars. This mix preserved characteristics essential for domesticity, such as temperament and controllable reproduction.
Rituals and feeding hand in hand
Domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) descend from the red rooster (Gallus gallus), a bird native to the forests of India and Southeast Asia.
Its domestication occurred around 3,500 years ago, coinciding with the expansion of rice cultivation in the region. Initially used in religious rituals and cock contests, it was only during Roman times, in the 4th century BC, that chickens became a regular source of food.
Revolution in mobility
The domestication of the horse (Equus caballus) transformed societies due to its application in transportation and warfare.
Although the exact origin is uncertain, recent studies indicate that domestication occurred in the steppes of Central Eurasia, east of the Danube, about 3,500 years ago.
The horse gradually replaced local equids and became essential for rapid movement, transport of goods and military strategies. Their strength and speed also made agricultural work and equestrian competitions possible.
