Domesticatie

Domesticatie, or domestication, is the long-term biological and cultural process by which wild species are transformed to live in close association with humans. This transformation includes genetic changes that accumulate over generations in populations selected for traits useful to humans, such as reduced aggression, increased docility, and reliance on human-provided resources. Domesticatie is distinct from taming; taming refers to behavioral modification of a single animal, whereas domestication involves heritable changes across entire populations and is expressed in the domesticated form.

Domestication arose independently in several regions beginning roughly 12,000 years ago. In the Near East, crops like wheat and barley and domesticates such as sheep, goats, and cattle supported early farming. In East Asia, rice and millet were cultivated, with pigs and chickens later incorporated. In the Americas, maize, beans, and squash emerged in Mesoamerica, while the Andes produced crops like potatoes and animals such as llamas. Dogs are among the earliest known domesticates, with evidence suggesting domestication in Eurasia before or during this broad period.

Process and consequences: Domestication involves selective breeding for traits that improve usefulness or manageability, often accompanied by changes in life cycles, reproduction, and morphology. It reshapes human society by enabling agriculture, settled communities, and the rise of civilizations, while also creating dependencies on specific crops or animals and altering ecosystems. In modern times, breeding, genetics, and biotechnology continue to refine domesticated populations, raising considerations about biodiversity, resilience, and food security, alongside concerns about ethics and environmental impact.