Domestication describes any modification, control, reorganization or intervention of the environment initiated by humans, chiefly concerning animals and plant life. The main purpose of this domestication, which usually takes generations to achieve, is to further the interests of people and the ecosystem they inhabit. Artificial (as opposed to natural) selection is the driving force of domestication. Does this Spark an idea?
Animal Categorization
Animal species can be considered either wild, captured from the wild and raised in captivity, raised commercially and captive (often farmed), domesticated, feral (once domesticated but now wild) or hybrid combinations of two different animals that can fall into any of those characteristics. With animals, domestication most frequently takes the form of taming and breeding. Some animals are unique in that they are brought to a farm or ranch and then genetically modified (GM) to produce a valuable characteristic, such as chickens modified to grow large breasts for breast meat.
Reasons for Animal Domestication
Animals are commonly domesticated to serve as pets that live in harmony with humans for companionship reasons. Animals have also been domesticated for their ability to be used as or to produce food. Some types of animals are valuable because of commodities they produce, such as wool. Domesticated animals can also be utilized for work, including transportation. They can serve as guards for their owners and their livestock. Animals are also subjects of scientific research to experiment on and find cures for human diseases.
Characteristics of Domesticated Animals
Animals considered for domestication usually have a flexible diet (especially a willingness to eat foods not consumed by humans,) a quick rate of growth and the ability to breed in captivity. Temperamental characteristic qualifications include a lack of aggression to humans and a trained ability to recognize humans as dominant. Animals chosen for domestication usually do not panic and try to flee when they are startled.
Domesticated Plants
Plants that serve an ornamental purpose in homes or public gardens are commonly known as house plants. Plants domesticated for the production of food, usually in large quantities, are crops. Within crops, some are simply chosen for a particular characteristic humans seek to benefit from and are not excessively altered. Other plants are manipulated to achieve an end, commonly for use as genetically modified foods. Plants can also be domesticated for use in narcotics, such as tobacco. Coffee, tea and soda are also products of altered wild plants. The plants chosen for domestication vary based on culture and availability.
Domestication Syndrome in Plants
Domesticated plants that experience measurable, predictable differences to their wild counterparts develop Domestication Syndrome. They tend to germinate (emerge from a seed or spore to begin growth) at higher rates, in more predictable ways and more in concert with the plans around them. They usually have impaired physical and chemical defense mechanisms but increased reproductive capabilities.
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