Tension makes them nervous. Might be the fellow balked me this morning with that horsey woman.
According to the evolutionary physiologist and geographer Jared Diamond, in his acclaimed book “Guns, Germs and Steel” (1997), there are six criteria that animals must meet for domestication. […]
First, domestic animals cannot be picky eaters; they must be able to find enough food in and around human settlements to survive. […]
Second, only animals that reach maturity quickly relative to the human life span are worth considering. We can’t afford to waste too much time feeding and caring for an animal before it grows large enough to be put to work or slaughtered. Failure to meet this requirement prevented elephants from achieving widespread domestication; they can be tamed and are good laborers, but take 15 years to reach adult size. […]
Third, domesticated species must be willing to breed in captivity. […]
Fourth, domesticated animals must be docile by nature. […]
Fifth, domestic animals cannot have a strong tendency to panic and flee when startled. This rules out most species of deer and gazelles, which have flighty temperaments and a powerful leap that enables them to escape over high fences. […]
Lastly, with the exception of the cat, all the major domesticated animals conform to a social hierarchy dominated by strong leadership.
photo { Anri Sala, No Barragán, No Cry, 2002 }
