Domestication vs. taming

[Catherine]

I found an interesting article that talks about our relationships to animals. It states that we have tamed some animals for our use, but we have actually domesticated others. In particular we have domesticated cats and dogs.


http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0


There is some good material about the ancestors of cats and dogs. I am not sure I agree with how it happened. I think dogs decided to join packs with us and maybe we decided to join  packs with them. It was to the advantage of both of us. They have hunting skills we don't. We were able to provide better shelter.  Certainly once we had fire we became a good choice of companion.

Cats looked at us and how we live and decided we were useful. They still think we are useful or they would leave.

Guinea pigs and hamsters are domesticated as well. They certainly aren't tamed to do work for us. Although my guinea pigs will clean up a vegetable spill should one ever happen.

I think some species are happy to live with us and have been willing to move into our more comfortable surroundings.
I certainly don't think we coerced any of our usual pets into being pets.
Some of the animals we have tamed for our use is another matter. We are doing more than using some of them. Some we are actively exploiting.

I do agree that not all animals can be domesticated.