Archaeozoological and genetic data indicate that taurine cattle were first domesticated from local wild ox (aurochs) in the Near East some 10,500 years ago. However, while modern mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation indicates early Holocene founding event(s), a lack of ancient DNA data from the region of origin, variation in mutation rate estimates, and limited application of appropriate inferen...

The central nervous system undertakes the homeostatic role of sensing nutrient intake and body reserves, integrating the information, and regulating energy intake and/or energy expenditure. Few tasks regulated by the brain hold greater survival value, particularly important in farmed ruminant species, where the demands of pregnancy, lactation and/or growth are not easily met by often bulky plan...

In their paper in PNAS, Weissbrod et al. (1) conclude that mice adapted to the temporary sedentary lifestyle of humans during the Late Pleistocene and underwent a domestication process driven by a competitive advantage for commensal mice in the evolving, long-term human settlements. The authors expand the possibility of an early interaction between wild mammals and humans to other wild species,...

Introduction The vomeronasal organ was discovered by L. Jacobson (Figure 1) and described in detail in a publication in 1813. This article was printed with Gothic script and in Danish, so was, and still is, accessible to only a limited public. Jacobson's contribution to natural science was astonishing, considering the large number of studies carried out on the anatomy of different animals up to...

The applicability of tightly regulated transgenesis in domesticated animals is severely hampered by the present lack of knowledge of regulatory mechanisms and the long generation intervals. To capitalize on the tightly controlled expression of mammalian genes made possible by using prokaryotic control elements, we have used a single-step transduction to introduce an autoregulative tetracycline-...

AVSAB is concerned with the recent re-emergence of dominance theory and forcing dogs and other animals into submission as a means of preventing and correcting behavior problems. For decades, some traditional animal training has relied on dominance theory and has assumed that animals misbehave primarily because they are striving for higher rank. This idea often leads trainers to believe that for...

INTRODUCTION Considering the unknown situation regarding canine visceral leishmaniasis in Garanhuns, this study had the aim of investigating occurrences of anti-Leishmania spp antibodies in domesticated and partially domesticated dogs, and the possible risk factors involved. METHODS In the first phase of the study, 256 blood samples were collected from dogs and subjected to the indirect fluor...

The laboratory mouse, Mus musculus domesticus, has been the workhorse of the very successful laboratory study of mammalian immunology. These studies--discovering how the mammalian immune system can work--have allowed the development of the field of wild immunology that is seeking to understand how the immune responses of wild animals contributes to animals' fitness. Remarkably, there have hardl...

For 10,000 years agriculture has been based on the strategy of conserving and enhancing genetic diversity. Humans have always this time domesticated and modified wild plants and animals, the gifts of nature’s biodiversity. According to Erna Bennett (former genetic resources expert to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN), ‘The patchwork of cultivation sown by man unleashed an explos...

The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) and the dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) are among the last species that have been domesticated around 3000-6000 years ago. During domestication, strong artificial (anthropogenic) selection has shaped the livestock, creating a huge amount of phenotypes and breeds. Hence, domestic animals represent a unique resource to understand the genetic basis of phenot...