domestication

Domestication: Geese may have been the first birds kept by humans 7000 years ago

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Goose bones from Stone Age China suggest the birds were being domesticated there 7000 years ago, which could mean they were domesticated before chickens Humans 7 March 2022 By Michael Marshall Chinese geese (Anser cygnoides f. domestica) blickwinkel/AGAMI/M. Guyt/Alamy Geese may have been domesticated as early as 7000 years ago in what is now China, … Read more

Study Confirms Suspicions That Cat Brains Are Smaller Than They Used to Be

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As cats have become domesticated over the last 10,000 years or so, their brains have shrunk significantly in size, a new study confirms – a finding that could lead to important new insights into how animals adapt when they start being regularly kept by human beings.   Researchers compared the size of craniums (an indicator … Read more

Dog news: Pets can respond to 89 distinct words on average

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A survey of dog owners has concluded that the average pet can respond to 89 words or phrases, with some dogs responding to 215 Life 14 December 2021 By Christa Lesté-Lasserre Dogs respond to more words than you might think Shutterstock / Prostock-studio Domestic dogs respond to 89 words and phrases, on average – including … Read more

Animal behaviour: Plumage colour predicts whether turkeys are bold or fearful

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Domesticated turkeys in Nigeria come in a variety of colours, and those with lavender-coloured feathers are more fearful than black-feathered birds Life 10 December 2021 By Christa Lesté-Lasserre A domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) with dark plumage Graham Prentice/Alamy The feather colours of certain kinds of turkeys can predict how they cope with life on the … Read more