Animal's Travel To Domestication

Article Submitted By Saba Badar Khari | 02-Nov-2012 | Views: 1216

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History of mankind is not complete without the discussion of animals. Since the Stone Age animals have been an important part of human race. They have always been playing roles in human life that history needs to mention them whenever any epic is documented. Whether it was a battle or a movement to climb up an impossible hill or rock, whether it was travel to universe and other planets or defense against harsh climates any specie of animals is a must to be documented. Greek mythology is stud with the animals that play central roles and there is a variety of these animals including dogs, horses, bears and other war-animals. The famous pair of horses used by Achilles, Xanthus and Balios in the Trojan war, the Centaur—means “Bull, Cow” of Homer and Iliad, dogs and cats of other gods, kings and queens even the nymphs (term used for young stages in the life cycle of certain parasites) are discussed in Muse ‘Rape of the Lock’.

Before discussing the travel of animals from wilderness to domestication lets have a look on the procedure of estimating the dates of domestication. Dates of historical events or certain advancements like mutations and change of breeds, development of new breeds are discovered under the knowledge of Archaeozoology, as it deals with the dates of animals, still the doubts about the dates and occurrence of events regarding the mutations are faced. However certain new techniques have been invented out of which the one using Mitochondrial DNA is leading our ways now a days. This DNA based technique tells about the relation of present breeds and species with other breeds and species on the basis of the genealogical matches of DNAs.

Earlier animals were part of human society such that as man used to live in certain geographical areas where used to be animal niches. From there man tried to eradicate them somehow in the era prior to the domestication. Meanwhile man understood the animal nature and there was a trend to keep certain carnivores, equine, caprines (goats), ovines (sheep) with himself for his protection, transportation, food and shelter. With this man found himself more powerful and conquering so kept canines and felines (dogs, foxes, cats, and tigers, loins respectively) to show his power and superiority over his human enemies and rest of the creatures. Thus animals became symbol of power, supremacy and dignity. Infact dogs appear in the fossil record some 40 Million years ago well before the appearance of other wild canines as the closest relative of wild fox. But exact Canines appeared rather spread throughout the world from North America about 7 Million years ago some of which the eldest ones like the Dire wolf have also become extinct.

With the passage of time man understood importance of animals that they are more than sign of power, brutality and insanity. People started thinking in commercial ways as they worked out how animals can be beneficial for them. For example if we talk about horses, the Equidea family, research on tame horses shows that they are quite different from the original wild horses.

Though we find it in Greek myths that how and when the taming of different animals started and who is actually responsible of the beginning of current domestication in these large livestock. But scientific history shows evident a bit different. It shows that development in bovine livestock and its travel from wilderness to current domestication runs parallel to the Neolithic development i.e. the agricultural development from 12000 to 4000 B.C. Man was a hunter and flash gatherer before this time period but during this time which is also called the New Stone age, he discovered the hidden abilities of the earth and started using the power of his animals to plough the fields and grow new vegetation for his use. This age then puts forward the age of civilizations and modernization with modern needs, studies and technological developments i.e. the Bronze Age of human development.

They used to rear sheep and goat for milk and their wool to cover against the cold harsh weather; they started rearing horses for transportation and kept hardy equines for more work. Dogs and foxes for their own and their animals’ protection. All the development among all different species that we look around ourselves today took place simultaneously. We see the beginning of this domestication from the time the man was a hunter gatherer. As already discussed dogs and their evolution research suggests that the pioneering specie of domestication among the animals is the Dogs (15000BC). Caprines domestication beginning is dated from 10000 BC followed by the cats 9500 BC, sheep in 9000 BC, cows from 8000 BC, horses from 4000 BC, chicken form 6000 BC and Camel domestication is dated from 2500 BC.

Man did not stop thinking; he is a social animal however. More civilization came across his ways and he became domesticated with all his needs, thoughts and visions. With the discoveries of new land America, Asia, related regions and other parts of the world man acquainted with the local fauna and flora. Also he brought on him different fauna of his native lands. They tried to conserve their native animals and plants in the new land parts. With this, as a rule of nature, these organisms began to mould themselves according to new environment. The interaction with local species created an atmosphere of competition and this lead to Darwin’s theory of “Survival of The Fittest”. Darwin also discovered the same changed fauna and flora when he reached the Galapagos Island. He saw the different kind of beaks of the local finches from his native land’s finches. Then he pondered over the flora there. That made it clear to him that how different environment affects the being of individuals there. As man gets domesticated he made his properties also domesticated including his animals. Human society began to expand and spread in different regions and so did their animals.

As man realized the importance of animals and sanity he developed certain rules and regulation regarding the exploitation of this “natural resource”. With the advancement in every field of life there began advancement in courts and laws made exclusively for animals. That lead to today’s SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), an international organization working in almost every developed and developing country of the world. It has its own history starting since 1824 or so from England. This society is meant to check the cruel and insane behavior of human to animals. Related to the farm animals, zoo animals, pets, drought animals, breeding animals, and food animals at any part of their life, at any stage of their life by anyone whether he or she is their owner or a stranger. This society is working in different countries with emphasis on a variety of animal species according to the customs of the respective region or country.

With this sense of security came the sense of treatment. Infact well before the development of SPCAs there is the history of Veterinarians. Different regions of the world have different climate so developed different breeds by natural breeding or by selective breeding using the enhanced anatomical knowledge of animals. Including different big names of scientists who worked to discover new species of the animals, there is a good list of veterinarians who have worked for the well being of animals. Veterinarians as a professional made certain rules about treating the animals and how to keep the animals in cages and captivity so that they feel no harm and uneasiness and their rights as a living being are least destroyed. Veterinarians are involved in the artificial breeding, selection, developing different criteria of beautiful and leading animals in different competitions of dogs, livestock, horses etc. Different experiments and inventions in the human life history are attributed to works of veterinarians on animals, on top of which is the Cloning. And now with more domestication we see unlimited astonishing development in veterinary field, we see the bloom of The White revolution, stunning techniques in surgery and medicine of animals, big list of the use of animals in different experiments and uses including preparation of vaccines for humans.

Now after work of centuries we see highly developed different breeds, classes, types and domestication in dogs, equines, caprines, ovines, avese and what not. With more development of science and technology and enhanced awareness man utilized animals in more than one way. Animal sports were invented and their international competitions were held. In certain countries certain animal oriented games are given the grade of National games like Bull race in France and they are organized on annual basis regularly. Animals are used to do important jobs in different department to help out human officials like in bomb disposal squad, rescue teams after hazards and havocs, in wars, in police department, in CID, at airports, at livestock and poultry farms, as guards, dogs have become an essential part of the official teams of these and so many other departments. Animals particularly dogs are trained to serve the handicapped. Though this development is restricted only to the highly developed regions of the world but it is meant to spread to the other developing and less developed regions of the world. Cows and buffaloes are gaining huge importance to overcome the shortness of milk and meat in the world. High level of work is in progress to improve the present status of breed in milk and meat production both in large and small domestic livestock. More hardy breeds of horses are produced and Mule is an example of successful artificial breeding with the aim to get more hardy and disease resistant breeds.

So was the travel of animals from wilderness to current domestication which is now converted into Development. Animals are playing role of the basic ingredient in the development of human life standards. Development is a process which will continue till the life doesn’t end. For man and his needs sky is the limit and he will continue to use the natural resources until his satisfaction.

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