Domestication

We share the earth with a wide variety of animal species, each of which brings something special to the diversity of the planet. By knowing more about how animals behave and live, we gain a greater understanding of how life evolved and the importance of biodiversity. Domestication investigates the animal behavioral trait with which we are most familiar -- how various species of animals have, over the last few millenia, become useful members of human societies. Each chapter examines a particular type of domestication, and includes accounts of of exemplary species that examines their biology, their domestication history, the results of domestication on their shape, size, color and physiology, and their comparative behavior - before and after domestication.

Clive Roots has been a zoo director for many years. He has travelled the world collecting live animals for zoo conservation programs. Roots has acted as a masterplanning and design consultant for numerous zoological garden and related projects around the world, and has written many books on zoos and natural history subjects.