PSYC 3280 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Selective Breeding, Habituation, Neoteny
4 Feb 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Environmental influences of domestication: animals in wild usually decrease responses to humans with repeated contact (habituation, contact with humans from birth (very early habituation, sensitive period . Imprinting, critical periods: tameness , tameness can also be biological (foxes). Developmental changes: neoteny lack of social inhibitions, the retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood, cuteness, adult dogs act a lot like juvenile wolves, often faster development and sexual maturity, bigger litter size. Cross rearing, cross breeding, etc show its genetically based. Genome studies have found groups of genes that may be responsible. Also, observed that darwin did: unintentional physical characteristics that get bred amongst with domesticated traits. Saw that some had a diamond white on fur, shot tails, floppy ears, gray hairs. Advantages to captivity: education, conservation, funding, captive breeding programs, reintroduction, sanctuaries, research. Disadvantages to captivity: false sense of presence. You see an animal so you think it"s fine. The fact that you can see it means it exists!
