Are humans just "domesticated" apes?
This video covers the work of genetecist Dmitri Belyaev, a Russian scientist who, in the 1950's, was able to breed wild foxes and turn them into, essentially, domesticated puppies. Truly fascinating.
Two more related finds:
- Here is an article from the Financial Times talking about the wild dogs of Moscow. This illustrates the same evolutionary principle seen in Belyaev's work -- but in reverse. Instead of breeding the animals for docile, human-friendly characteristics and domesticating them, these formerly domesticated dogs are living very hard lives on the streets where only the strong survive -- and they are losing those calm qualities and effectively becoming wild. It's a great read.
- Along similar lines, a recent Radiolab podcast explored Belyaev's work and extrapolated the same idea to human evolution -- are we merely "domesticated" apes? You can listen to the segment here.
If you're looking for a book on our connection to our primate relatives I recommend Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are.
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