semidomestic

Semidomestic refers to a population or species that maintains a significant but incomplete association with humans. It is used in biology and anthropology to describe species that experience human influence through management or selective breeding, but do not exhibit the full traits of fully domesticated organisms. Semidomestic populations lie along a continuum between wild and domestic states rather than forming a binary category.

Common features include partial dependence on humans for resources, regional management, and genetic or behavioral changes that are less pronounced than in fully domesticated populations. Such populations may reproduce in the wild or in semi-controlled settings and often retain considerable wild traits.

The term is debated among scholars and its application is context-dependent. Some researchers reserve semidomestic for populations with long-standing human association but limited or localized domestication, while others view it as a transitional stage toward full domestication.

Examples in the literature include certain human-managed herds of large mammals in northern regions and cultivated plant populations maintained by long-term human care while still retaining substantial wild genetic variation. Reindeer herding is commonly cited as an instance of semidomestication in practice, though classifications vary.

Related concepts include domestic, wild, tame, feral, and the broader domestication continuum.