Domesticeringen

Domesticeringen is a concept used in anthropology and agronomy to describe the long-term process by which wild species become integrated into human environments and dependencies through selective breeding, management, and cultural practices. The result is domesticated forms that depend on humans for food, reproduction, and care, and that often differ markedly from their wild ancestors in behavior, appearance, and physiology.

The process typically involves artificial selection, habitat modification, and close human–animal or human–plant interactions. Over generations, traits such as tameness, increased productivity, reduced seed shattering, and altered growth cycles are favored. Co-evolution between human societies and domesticates has shaped agricultural calendars, housing, and economic systems.

Domestication arose independently in multiple regions, with early examples including dogs and goats in parts of Eurasia, and crops such as wheat and barley in the Fertile Crescent; elsewhere in the world, crops like maize, potatoes, and manioc emerged in the Americas and the Andes. The spread of domesticates influenced population densities, settlement patterns, and trade networks.

In modern use, domesticeringen also covers the modernization of breeds, animal welfare considerations, and the ethical implications of genetic modification. Critics point to reduced genetic diversity and welfare concerns in some lineages, while supporters emphasize food security and cultural heritage. The term is sometimes used in Scandinavian and Dutch-language literature to distinguish the practice from wild management or conservation.