The Process of Animal Domestication

The Process of Animal Domestication is a comprehensive synthesis of the evolutionary history of domesticated animals, exploring how humans have interacted with animals and created breeds that reflect cultural and societal transformations. Marcelo Sánchez-Villagra draws from a wide range of fields to provide a fresh perspective on this classic topic, examining the natural history of phenotypes and their developmental origins.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 18 January 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press

The intricate and multifaceted interactions between humans and the animals closest to them have had a profound impact on the evolutionary history of domesticated animals across the globe and at various times throughout the past millennia. In order to provide a comprehensive understanding of this subject, The Process of Animal Domestication presents a comprehensive synthesis, encompassing the rich biology underlying the initial stages of domestication, as well as how the development of breeds reflects cultural and societal transformations that have shaped the biosphere. Marcelo Sánchez-Villagra, drawing from a diverse array of fields such as evolutionary biology, zooarchaeology, ethnology, genetics, developmental biology, and evolutionary morphology, offers a fresh perspective on this enduring topic. By employing a range of conceptual and technical tools, he delves into the natural history of phenotypes and their developmental origins. Through the presentation of case studies involving mammals, birds, fish, and insect species, he emphasizes the significance of domestication in unraveling the complexities of evolution, anatomy, ontogeny, and numerous fundamental biological processes.

The Process of Animal Domestication is a valuable resource for a wide range of readers, including evolutionary biologists, developmental biologists, geneticists, anthropologists, and archaeologists. By bringing together the most recent developments in this field, it serves as a timely and authoritative guide for those seeking to deepen their understanding of animal domestication and its profound implications for our understanding of biology, evolution, and human history.

Weight: 794g
Dimension: 177 x 372 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691217673