Kesyttäminen

Kesyttäminen, also known as domestication, is the process by which a population of animals or plants is adapted over generations to live in a human-controlled environment. This involves selective breeding by humans for desirable traits such as docility, increased food production, or specific aesthetic qualities. The process is typically a long-term evolutionary one, distinct from taming, which refers to the conditioning of an individual animal to tolerate human presence.

The earliest known instances of domestication date back thousands of years, with the dog being one of the first species to be domesticated from wolves. Over time, humans have domesticated a vast array of species for various purposes. Livestock like cattle, sheep, and pigs were domesticated for meat, milk, wool, and labor. Poultry like chickens and ducks were raised for eggs and meat. Grains such as wheat, rice, and corn, along with fruits and vegetables, form the basis of human agriculture and were selectively bred from wild ancestors for higher yields and more palatable traits.

Domestication significantly impacts both the domesticated species and human societies. Domesticated animals often exhibit changes in their physical characteristics, behavior, and reproductive cycles compared to their wild counterparts. For humans, domestication enabled settled lifestyles, the development of agriculture, population growth, and the rise of complex civilizations. It also led to profound changes in ecosystems and the genetic diversity of many species. The study of kesyttäminen is a multidisciplinary field involving genetics, archaeology, biology, and anthropology.